Three men face capital murder charges in the June 20 shooting death of a Las Vegas man at a Motel 6 in Garland, with authorities linking the crime to an earlier robbery and sexual assault at another local motel.
The individuals are currently detained at the Dallas County Jail, and each is being held on an immigration hold.
Garland police responded to reports of a shooting at the Motel 6 in the 12700 block of LBJ Freeway just after 5 a.m., finding 48-year-old Santiago Lopez Morales with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspects, Yosguar Aponte Jimenez, 20, Jesus De Nazareth Bellorin-Guzman, 23, and Jose Luis Trivino-Cruz, 35, were arrested and charged with capital murder. Bellorin-Guzman also faces an aggravated robbery charge, while Trivino-Cruz is charged with aggravated robbery and indecent assault. Their bonds are set at $1.5 million, $2.25 million, and $3.255 million, respectively, and all three are detained in the Dallas County Jail.
According to an arrest affidavit, Morales and four witnesses arrived at the Motel 6 in a pickup truck. One witness, a woman, had been robbed earlier that morning at the Deluxe Inn on Leon Road. She informed Morales.
Morales reportedly began messaging the suspects, posing as a prostitute online, to arrange a meeting with the suspects at the Motel 6.
Surveillance footage detailed the incident: at 4:21 a.m., Morales’ pickup arrived, followed by a Toyota sedan at 4:47 a.m. and a gray Acura at 4:54 a.m. At 5:07 a.m., one suspect exited the Toyota, approached room 137, and knocked. Morales, dressed as a security guard and armed, confronted the suspect, leading to a struggle.
A second suspect from the Acura shot Morales, who fell motionless. The three suspects fled in the Acura and Toyota.
Two men from the pickup threw rocks at the second suspect during the altercation, while two women later approached Morales’ body, one seemingly calling 911. Police arrived at 5:19 a.m. to administer first aid.
Investigators linked the shooting to an aggravated robbery at the Deluxe Inn around 2 a.m. that day. A woman there reported two Hispanic men forced their way into her room, held her at gunpoint, sexually assaulted her, and stole cash, jewelry, and her ID before fleeing in the same Acura and Toyota seen at the Motel 6. She identified the suspects from the Motel 6 surveillance footage as her attackers.
The suspects admitted to targeting sex workers, believing they were less likely to report crimes. Jimenez confessed to over 25 robberies, while Trivino-Cruz admitted to two additional robberies that day.
“Investigators believe this to be an isolated incident and are actively working to determine the events leading up to the shooting,” the Garland Police Department stated on Facebook.
The investigation continues, with authorities seeking information on the suspects’ countries of origin. Anyone with details is urged to contact the Garland Police Department at 972-485-4840.