Two suspects were arrested on Monday in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man whom they claim had stolen one of their trucks, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Marcos Estrada, 26, and Saul Briseno Estrada, 32, are accused of fatally shooting Joe Medina around noon on May 29 in the 700 block of Centre Street, near South Van Buren Avenue in north Oak Cliff. Medina was struck in the torso and later died at the hospital, according to police.
The two suspects face a murder charge. Police did not disclose their relationship, and it is unknown whether they have attorneys.
According to the arrest warrant, a juvenile eyewitness told authorities that she and Medina were getting into a truck when three men appeared and began shouting at them and pulling them out of the vehicle.
She stated she heard gunshots as Medina drove away and that he told her he had been shot. The warrant states Medina allegedly pulled around a corner and then fell out of the truck. A car carrying the Estradas allegedly pulled up to where the truck had stopped; one Estrada got out of the car and into the truck, and the two suspects drove away in the two vehicles.
An additional witness provided police with the truck’s license plate number, which showed it was registered to Saul Estrada.
Saul’s wife had reported to the police that morning that the truck had been stolen. According to the official document, a car dealer informed detectives that Saul had contacted him, asking for the vehicle’s location and saying it had been stolen. The salesman provided him with the address where the shooting occurred.
The salesperson claimed Saul reached out to him again later to say he had retrieved the truck. This time, according to the affidavit, Saul allegedly asked the dealer not to notify authorities because someone had been shot.
The salesman provided the police with an address for the truck owner. They discovered the vehicle with a flat tire and a damaged side window outside a west Oak Cliff home, stated the affidavit. They also spotted Marcos Estrada, who was apprehended and questioned.
Marcos told officers he searched for the truck with Saul and a third man, and they discovered the vehicle in a parking lot. He also stated that they encountered two people attempting to enter the truck.
Marcos reportedly claimed he fired two rounds at the truck as it drove away and that he and the other men pursued it. They demanded the keys when they found Medina on the ground. According to Marcos, the fatally wounded man apologized to his assailants before the three men drove away with the truck.
“I shot because he was getting away,” Marcos apparently said in his affidavit to the police. He also informed them that the gun was in his bedroom.
When Saul spoke with detectives, he reportedly confirmed Marcos’ information. He also stated that the men never phoned 911. According to the affidavit, authorities recovered a handgun, a magazine, and ammunition in Marcos’ bedroom.
The two suspects remained in custody Tuesday in the Dallas County jail, with bail for Marcus set at $500,000 and Saul at $250,000. It is unclear whether the third man mentioned by Marcos will face prosecution.