SAN ANTONIO – The murder trial for a 16-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a 25-year-old woman in a 2022 drive-by has been delayed as he awaits a hearing on a second, unrelated murder charge.
Rene Gonzales was 14 years old when he allegedly took part in a drive-by shooting on Oct. 26, 2022, that mistakenly targeted the wrong house, killing Novita Brazil, who was studying inside her home on Bald Mountain Drive in far west Bexar County.
Gonzales and another teen were arrested days after the shooting, authorities said.
Gonzales was certified as an adult for that case but was released on bond. While on bond, authorities say, he cut off his GPS monitor and allegedly committed another murder on Oct. 24, 2023.
In the second case, Gonzales is accused of fatally shooting a 54-year-old man who tried to break up a fight between teenagers.
During a court appearance on Tuesday, Gonzales smiled at family members in the gallery as prosecutors outlined the cases’ status.
The 2022 case is in a holding pattern because the defendant has yet to be certified as an adult in the second murder case.
A hearing on Gonzales’s adult certification for the second case is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2024, in juvenile court. Prosecutors will then decide whether to proceed with both cases in adult court or keep one in juvenile court.
“We are going to challenge the certification,” said defense attorney Neil Calfas. “It is my understanding that they are going to try to certify him as an adult in that case.”
If certified as an adult in both cases, Gonzales could face his first trial as early as Jan. 2025. A conviction in either case could result in a life sentence.