San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Devine man indicted in capital murder case
Devine man accused of killing two people and wounding another in August has been indicted on a capital murder charge.
Fernando Rojas, 38, is charged in two indictments: capital murder of multiple persons in the fatal shootings of Sareena Kay Bain, 28, and Jonathan Kenneth Fann, 38, on Aug. 3 in San Antonio, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for wounding Joe Austin Buch, 28, in the same incident.
The case against Rojas was amon g 202 felony indictments returned last week by two Bexar County
grand juries. .
An arrest affidavit stated Rojas opened fire on Bain, Fann and Buch during an argument outside a residence in the 10300 block of East Loop 1604 in SouthA west Bexar County. Bain was pronounced dead at the scene, and Fann and Buch were taken to a local hospital. Fann later died.
One of the men who was shot reportedly told Rojas to get off his property multiple times before Bain and one of the men approached Rojas. A witness saw and heard four or five gunshots from a custom-made red AR-15 that Rojas was holding as he stood next to a pickup, the affidavit stated.
Bexar County sheriff’s deputies also heard from a second witness who said Rojas and the three individuals were arguing before the shots were fired. A witness who checked on the victims after the shooting heard one of the men say, “I’m sorry Fernando did this to us,” the affidavit states.
Court records indicate Rojas has numerous drug and weapons charges that date back to 2016.
He is being held in the Bexar County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, online court records indicate. If convicted of capital murder, Rojas would face either life without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty. It was unclear if the DA’s office plans to seek the death penalty.
Also indicted last week was Tavares Marquette Anderson, 43, charged with murder in the death of Malcom Ray Everett, 25, on July 18.
San Antonio police called to a Medical Centerarea apartment in the 2800 block of Babcock Road at 2 a.m. that night found Everett dead next to a white Suburban while Anderson and two women argued inside the SUV. Reports indicate a witness recorded the incident.
Anderson told officers he shot Everett in self-defense after the two had been out drinking and began to argue when they got to the apartment with the two women. Police said Anderson told them Everett kept “charging toward him trying to fight” and that Anderson asked one of the women to give him his gun and warned Everett to leave him alone. He shot when Everett charged again, he said.
Anderson is out on bail, according to online court records. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Michael Rene Soto also was indicted on a murder charge. He is accused of killing Pedro Guadarrama Pedroza, 24, a passenger in a vehicle Soto is accused of hitting while running a red light in an attempt to evade arrest after 1 a.m. Aug. 28 at the intersection of South Zarzamora Street and West Southcross Boulevard.
If convicted, Soto, 17, faces up to life in prison.