SAN ANTONIO – An investigation into a murder case is being questioned in a motion to suppress the hearing that took place on Thursday.
Gilberto Perez was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after 17-year-old Moses Johnson was killed in a shooting in 2020.
According to investigators, Johnson and another teen were walking on Aztec Alley near Zarzamora when Perez allegedly slowed his truck down and shot at them.
Johnson returned gunfire but was struck and killed.
Perez’s attorneys filed a motion to suppress warrants in the case because they believed SAPD omitted critical information to the magistrate judge.
Some of that information included statements by the other teen Johnson was with, saying Johnson fired his weapon at Perez first.
A now-retired SAPD detective told the defense the teen had told him at the scene that Perez drove by, and when they recognized him from a previous altercation with him, Johnson opened fire.
More than two dozen shell casings were collected from the crime scene. About 15 casings came from Johnson’s 9mm firearm, and about five to seven casings were from Perez’s .45 caliber firearm.
SAPD Detective Jeremy Goodwin took the stand and said they believed the evidence in the case and Perez’s inconsistent statements were enough to charge him, but he couldn’t say for sure that it was enough to prove who shot first.
Goodwin said he remembered the other detective speaking to him but, in his report, only wrote it down as conflicting reports and couldn’t remember the exact details.
The hearing will resume on Nov. 13 as another detective on the case will be called up to testify.
After that, Judge Velia Meza will rule on the motions.
Perez was expected to go to trial next week, but that has now been reset to Nov. 27.
If he is found guilty by a jury, he faces up to life in prison.