SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police have announced an arrest in connection with the fatal shooting of Saryah Perez, a 6-year-old girl gunned down late Sunday night during a car club gathering on the city’s West Side.
Police confirmed Monday afternoon that Andrew Ray Elizondo, 23, was arrested outside his home on suspicion of capital murder. Elizondo is an acquaintance of the victim’s mother, according to Police Chief William McManus.
The incident occurred around 10:45 p.m. near Southwest 24th Street and West Commerce Street, not far from Our Lady of the Lake University. According to police, Perez and her mom were both shot following what police say was a dispute at the car club meetup.
“It’s a random act by a reckless, heartless individual who could not have cared less where those bullets wound up,” McManus said.
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Elizondo was not yet booked into jail when McManus announced the arrest, jail records showed. He will be interviewed by detectives first before he is booked.
McManus said he instructed his officers, “do not stop searching for this individual until we catch him.”
“To the family, our condolences, deepest condolences to them,” McManus said.
The chief plans to attend a vigil that is being scheduled Monday night to commemorate Saryah, he said.
Videos obtained by KSAT 12 News shows an altercation involving a red vehicle at the meetup. The red car drives off from the parking lot as people attempted to chase it. Moments later, four gunshots rang out.
Police said the girl was shot in the chest while she sat in her car seat and her mother was grazed in the back by a bullet. The suspect fired the gunshot as the vehicle drove away, police said. Authorities did not specify what led up to the dispute.
SAPD said the woman drove to a local gas station where she called for help. Perez was transported to University Hospital, where she later died, police said.
Another video obtained by KSAT 12 News shows the altercation from a different angle.