International Courant
A person who was initially questioned as a witness on the scene of a homicide has now been arrested greater than a 12 months later in reference to the suspected highway rage killing, authorities in Texas introduced.
In response to police in Selma, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) exterior San Antonio, Jacob Daniel Serna, 29, was arrested Thursday within the homicide of Joseph Banales.
The case started on April 15, 2023, when Selma police stated they responded to a single-car accident and located Banales with a gunshot wound to the pinnacle and slumped over the steering wheel.
Banales, a nursing scholar and member of the Military ROTC on the College of the Incarnate Phrase in San Antonio, was pronounced lifeless on the scene, police stated.
Witnesses stated Banales tried to merge into one other lane and practically struck a darkish blue or black sports activities automotive with a loud exhaust system, in keeping with the possible trigger affidavit. The sports activities automotive slowed after which drove previous the motive force’s aspect of Banales’ automotive, witnesses stated. Banales’ automotive then swerved into one other lane and crashed into the median, earlier than the sports activities automotive fled the scene, in keeping with the possible trigger affidavit.
Banales was on the telephone together with his girlfriend on the time. She instructed police she heard what appeared like a loud exhaust system driving by shortly, adopted by a crash, the doc states.
Serna and his spouse had been on the scene when officers arrived, police stated. The officer’s dashboard digital camera captured Serna standing over Banales’ physique, the possible trigger affidavit stated.
Serna, who was driving a blue Ford Mustang sports activities automotive, and his spouse had been questioned a number of instances and their tales modified over time, police stated.
This picture, posted on the Selma Police Division’s Fb account, exhibits considered one of their autos.
Selma Police Division/FaceBook
Initially, Serna’s spouse instructed police she noticed a blue sports activities automotive — just like the colour of their automotive — within the lane subsequent to Banales, in keeping with the affidavit of possible trigger. Serna instructed police he did not see something and his spouse noticed the crash, in keeping with the affidavit of possible trigger.
In July, police interviewed Serna’s spouse once more. The Sernas are actually divorced, in keeping with the possible trigger affidavit, and she or he stated her husband sped as much as get a greater have a look at the potential suspect’s automotive, however the suspect’s automotive was dashing, and that is when the crash occurred, the doc stated.
On Thursday, police questioned Serna’s spouse once more. She admitted that her husband shot the sufferer after her husband “grew to become indignant that Banales virtually modified lanes into his blue Mustang,” police stated in an announcement Friday.
She stated her husband pulled his gun from the glove compartment, loaded the weapon and fired, in keeping with the possible trigger affidavit.
She acknowledged that she compelled her husband to show round and drive again to the scene of the crime, in keeping with the affidavit of possible trigger.
In the course of the investigation, police targeted on cellphone information to find out “who might have been driving a blue sports activities automotive on the crime scene,” police stated in an announcement.
In the course of the investigation, which included looking out license plate scanners, “just one car matching the outline of a blue sports activities automotive with a loud exhaust” was discovered: Serna’s automotive, police stated.
“Google Geo-Fence information exhibits Serna’s Google exercise was pinging within the space on the identical time investigators consider the capturing occurred,” police stated.
Serna is being held within the Bexar County Jail, police stated.
Texas man who was stated to be a witness has now been arrested for homicide in suspected highway rage capturing
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