San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Second suspect is charged in deadly botched meetup for Glock gun parts
A second person accused of gunning down a man over gun parts was arrested Friday.
Ju Von William Phillips, 20, is charged with capital murder in the death of Cesar Estevan Garcia.
The first person arrested was Kiavon Funta Eugene Dotson, 20. Both Dotson and Phillips remain in the Bexar County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Garcia was walking out of his workplace in the 6900 block of Northeast Loop 410 about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29 when two men approached him, states an affidavit supporting Phillips’ arrest.
Security camera footage
captured the entire exchange. Investigators said the footage shows Garcia initially feeling comfortable enough with the two men to turn his back on a stairwell after meeting them.
One of the men, who was wearing all black, grabbed Garcia and put a gun to his head, according to the affidavit. The two struggled at the stairwell as Garcia fought back.
The second man, wearing a red hoodie and light-colored joggers, pulled out a gun and shot Garcia. The man in all black also is seen shooting Garcia, investigators noted.
When police arrived, they found Garcia, 27, dead on the stairwell. Plastic baggies containing Glock switches, devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, and shell casings were near his body.
Investigators searched Garcia’s phone and found that he and one of the men had arranged to meet at his workplace. A text from Dotson asked if he could “pull up.”
Dotson’s mother identified the man in all black as her son, according to the affidavit. She even called the police when her son arrived home, leading to his arrest.
He confessed to the killing during an interview with police and said the intention was to rob Garcia for some gun parts.
Detectives then used social media and a Texas Department of Public Safety photo to help track down Phillips. A person close to the suspects told police he went by the alias “J,” according to the affidavit.
Messages between Phillips and Dotson show that they discussed picking up a “Glock” before meeting with Garcia. Police also spoke with a witness who had driven both Phillips and Dotson to the meetup with Garcia.