SAN ANTONIO – A man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 19-year-old man who was fatally shot on the North Side during the summer, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.
The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on July 1 when a passerby discovered a body near a drainage ditch off the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 281 between Basse Road and Hildebrand Avenue.
As authorities arrived and investigated, they found Alexis Jose Vegas with multiple gunshot wounds. Vegas was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police found multiple shell casings and black zip ties near Vegas’ body, the affidavit stated.
After the shooting, it was unknown who killed Vegas.
However, after several interviews with individuals, police got a breakthrough on the case when they learned from an unidentified man that he and Vegas were kidnapped by “three armed suspects” before his death, the affidavit stated.
Additionally, during the interview process, police were able to get a lead on Eiber Sira-Vargas, 29, who would be later charged in connection with Vegas’ murder.
However, before the unidentified man gave police the new information, he initially was “vague” with authorities when they interviewed him about a separate robbery incident that occurred hours before Vegas’ death on July 1, authorities said.
Police said that the reported incident was near the location of Vegas’ death, and his answers made them believe he was withholding information.
In a later, separate interview, the unidentified man said he was hesitant to provide information out of fear of the suspects because after he and Vegas were kidnapped, the three men, including Sira-Vargas, took them to a grassy field near a drainage ditch and opened fire on them, the affidavit stated.
While Vegas was killed, the unidentified man pretended to be dead until the suspects left, which prompted him to lie to authorities that he got “robbed at gunpoint,” records show.
The unidentified man was able to identify Sira-Vargas in a six-person photo lineup, which prompted authorities to arrest him, the affidavit stated.
Sira-Vargas faces capital murder and aggravated kidnapping with deadly weapon charges. His combined bond is set at $2 million.
