SAN ANTONIO – What started as a scheme to rob a man of narcotics ended in the deaths of two people, including an innocent man, and the arrests of five people, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
San Antonio police have named Oscar Martinez, 21, and Jerry Ortiz, 17, as two of the adult suspects in the North Side shootout, which happened Monday afternoon outside a gas station near Blanco Road and West Mariposa Drive.
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Two other suspects are juvenile males, and another unnamed suspect was hospitalized from his injuries sustained in the shooting.
They have each been charged with capital murder in the deaths of Enrique Bocanegra, 66, and Christopher James Mejia, 14.
SAPD Chief William McManus at first did not say a motive for the shooting, only that it “looked like there was some sort of deal,” but an arrest warrant affidavit detailed what happened before shots were fired.
Martinez told investigators that Mejia and another suspect planned to “jack” an unknown male and take his bag of drugs, the affidavit states. Martinez denied being part of the scheme, but investigators said the group was “privy” to the situation.
On that day, Martinez drove a Suburban carrying Mejia and three others to the gas station, police said.
He circled the gas station, parked and they then called Ortiz, who was standing near the store’s doorway, over to the Suburban.
At some point, Mejia got out of the Suburban, grabbed Ortiz and attempted to take his bag, surveillance video showed. During the struggle, both of them pulled out guns and opened fire, the affidavit states. Police believe someone inside the Suburban also fired a gun.
Mejia and another man in the Suburban were shot. Mejia died at the scene as the other man was taken to the hospital.
One of the bullets traveled to a nearby home and fatally struck Bocanegra, who was watching TV at the time.
Ortiz ran to his home nearby as the other suspects stayed at the scene.
Police were able to find Ortiz’s home through surveillance footage. During a search warrant at the home, investigators found a handgun matching the caliber as the spent casings at the scene.
The occupants of the Suburban were arrested on Monday, and Ortiz was arrested on Wednesday, records show.
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