SAN ANTONIO – A local family is demanding answers and accountability after their brother, a Marine and Army veteran, was shot and left paralyzed while working security at a West Side sports bar last month.
Jimmy Friesenhahn, 44, remains in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center, fighting through complications after being shot three times during a confrontation with an armed man at El Patio Sports Bar on Frio City Road.
The May 4 incident occurred when Friesenhahn, working as a security guard, attempted to remove the suspect, identified as Wilmer Vladimir Ruiz-Ortega, from the premises upon discovering he had a gun.
San Antonio police said a struggle ensued, during which Ruiz-Ortega allegedly shot Friesenhahn twice in the chest — shots that were stopped by a bulletproof vest — and once in the neck. The latter shot left him paralyzed.
“Jimmy’s not doing really good right now. There are a lot of complications that have come up,” said Jimmy’s sister, Evangelina Borjon, during an interview with KSAT 12.
Ruiz-Ortega, who remains behind bars, is charged with aggravated assault against a security officer and illegal entry from a foreign nation, Bexar County court records indicate. However, Friesenhahn’s family says this tragedy could have been prevented.
A review of court records by KSAT revealed Ruiz-Ortega was previously arrested in Bexar County, including a 2020 DWI that was later downgraded to a misdemeanor offense. He had also failed to appear in court multiple times and had his deferred adjudication revoked in 2024.
“Knowing and learning that he had been previously arrested and let go on very minor charges that were de-escalated by our DA, that’s even more of an outrage,” said Borjon.
Bojon said their focus is now twofold: helping with his recovery and holding the justice system accountable. They’ve grown frustrated by what they say is a lack of communication from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
“I didn’t hear anything from the DA’s office until five weeks after the shooting,” Steven said. “There’s no constant communication between the family and the DA’s office.”
In response to questions from KSAT, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office issued a statement explaining that while Ruiz-Ortega was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2020, the law criminalizing Illegal Entry from a Foreign Nation did not go into effect until March 2024, meaning prosecutors were not authorized to pursue that charge earlier.
KSAT followed up, asking why federal authorities weren’t notified or why an illegal entry charge wasn’t added when Ruiz-Ortega was rearrested in November 2024. The district attorney’s office replied that the arresting agency would have to be the one to notify authorities about citizenship status.
As for the additional charge being added, the district attorney’s office said that the Bexar County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, which revokes probation, would be the ones to allege violations.
Ruiz-Ortega is scheduled for his first pre-indictment court hearing in early July.
Friesenhahn’s family, still reeling from the impact of the shooting, says they want justice and systemic change.
“My brother got a life sentence when that guy shot him,” Steven said. “So I believe that same justice should be served to him.”
More coverage of this story on KSAT