Juvenile to be tried as adult in murder case

Teenager is accused of shooting two men, killing one, in a movie theater parking lot

Christopher Rodriguez was 16 at the time officials said he tried to rob and then shot and killed a man at a Cypress movie theater parking lot.

This week, Harris County prosecutors filed capital murder charges against him after a judge recently decided he should stand trial as an adult in the 2017 New Years Day slaying.

Rodriguez is accused of shooting two men outside the Studio Movie Grill in the 8500 block of State Highway 6, killing one.

A second person, Faith Deleon, then 17, was charged with capital murder almost a year ago in the same case.

Rodriguez was initially charged as a juvenile, and on Feb. 20, a district court judge certified him to be tried as an adult. If convicted, both teens would face life in prison and would be eligible for parole in 40 years. They are not facing life in prison without parole because the U.S. Supreme Court has outlawed that punishment for suspects under 18.

Rodriguez, now 17, was charged with capital murder on Wednesday.

Alleged robbery attempt

Court records from Deleon’s arrest described the shooting as, at first, an attempt to rob the two men.

Deleon allegedly arranged the meeting because a friend, now identified as Rodriguez, said he needed money to buy new clothes, court documents show.

The pair met Daniel Gerding and Colyn Timmons, both 18 at the time, under the premise they wanted to buy a small amount of marijuana from them, however.

When Gerding and Timmons arrived, Deleon and Rodriguez got into Gerding’s Toyota Camry. After demanding money, Rodriguez shot Gerding twice in the back and when Timmons tried to get out of the car, Rodriguez shot him in the face once, court records show.

Deleon and Rodriguez fled in their pickup truck, leaving blood in the Camry and Gerding and Timmons’ cellphones beside the car, according to court documents.

After the crime, Rodriguez changed his clothes and broke Deleon’s cellphone. He also threw his gun and Deleon’s cellphone into a wooded area along Barker Cypress, according to Deleon’s court records.

Gerding was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Timmons was taken to the hospital in critical condition but recovered.

Cellphone connection

Deleon was connected to the case when investigators found her cellphone number in Gerding and Timmons’ cellphone records.

Both Deleon and Rodriguez were also accused of being involved in an aggravated assault case the night before, during which Rodriguez allegedly shot someone in the leg, according to court documents.

Rodriguez was also charged as an adult Wednesday on two other felony counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Deleon is still in jail in lieu of $300,000 bail, court documents show.

Rodriguez’s case is the third filed this week in Harris County involving a juvenile charged with capital murder.

A 13-year-old boy and 15-yearold girl were identified as the two teens who on Feb. 8 shot and killed Howard Boston, 61, outside his home in the 5600 block of Hardwood Forest Drive, according to the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office.

Boston was walking his dog along Hardwood Forest Drive around 8:30 p.m. that night when the teens approached him, authorities said. At some point, one of the juveniles opened fire on Boston and stole his car from his driveway.

Both of the teens were charged with capital murder on Tuesday.