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‘I’m out of here’: Man previously charged with murder now freed from jail, charges dropped

Court records: Insufficient evidence in case against Michael Ludwig, 70

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man who spent the past three months in jail after being arrested on a murder charge is now a free man.

Michael Ludwig, 70, said he was in jail and unable to post a $100,000 bond when he suddenly found out on Nov. 1 that the charge against him had been dropped.

Ludwig spoke to KSAT 12 News on Friday morning. He said he wanted to set the record straight.

“(I thought) they maybe got it wrong,” Ludwig said. “I didn’t give them time to think about it. I’m out of here.”

As we reported on Aug. 12, San Antonio police arrested him in connection with the shooting death of Rudy Vallejo, 37.

Officers said the two men had been involved in a dispute in the parking lot of Walmart near Southeast Military Drive and Roosevelt Avenue.

Man shot, killed during altercation in Walmart parking lot on city’s South Side, police say (KSAT)

At the time, police reported that Ludwig claimed the shooting was in self-defense although SAPD’s investigation ultimately led to a murder charge against him.

Ludwig still maintains that he was protecting himself.

He said he often camps out in his truck in the Walmart parking lot, sleeping and cooking meals that he shares with other unhoused people.

Ludwig said Vallejo had approached him there previously and threatened him.

On the morning of Aug. 12, Ludwig said Vallejo attempted to physically attack him, so he shot him.

“I wanted to shoot down in his pile to let him know, ‘I ain’t playing, boy.’ He was up on me with a stick,” Ludwig said. “He didn’t give me a choice. I couldn’t get off a warning shot.”

While in jail, Ludwig said he feared he might not see daylight again.

Suddenly, though, Ludwig found out he was being released, with the charge against him dismissed.

Court records show the charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

KSAT 12 News called and emailed the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office on Friday for more information on the reason for the dismissal.

KSAT also emailed SAPD to ask whether the case was still under investigation and if charges might be filed against Ludwig again in the future.

Neither agency responded with answers to those inquiries.

Ludwig, meanwhile, has gone back to camping out of his truck.

But he still thinks about what happened and the man who he said he was forced to kill.

“I think it’s a shame,” Ludwig said. “I would like to contact his family.”

More coverage of this story on KSAT:


About the Authors
Katrina Webber headshot

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

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