San Juan police charged two men with murder after investigators say the sale of an iPhone turned deadly this weekend.
Authorities booked 17-year-old Alamo resident Anthony Joseph Ferrer and 19-year-old Donna resident Cesar Alexandro Torres Parra into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center Tuesday on charges of murder and engaging in organized criminal activity.
The investigation into the men began Saturday after Alamo police called the San Juan Police Department to advise officers of a shooting at the San Juan Shop Plaza at 713 W. Interstate 2.
First responders found a man named Jonathan Jacob Romero there with several gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Investigators established a timeline of Romero’s location and through the review of surveillance camera footage learned that he arrived at the location between 3 and 3:15 p.m. Saturday and met with people in a white Chevrolet Malibu.
That footage showed a man in a white shirt exit the Malibu and make contact with the occupants inside the Ford F-150.
“Shortly after, a male subject wearing a dark shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes is seen running away from the vehicles,” the probable cause affidavit stated. “Gunshots are heard through surveillance footage as the male subject is seen leaving location. Seconds later, both vehicles are seen leaving location.”
Investigators obtained the license plates for the Malibu and learned it belonged to Ferrer, who police say is roommates with Torres.
Police spoke with their girlfriends who told investigators they last saw them about 2 p.m. Saturday, and Ferrer’s mother told police she saw both men drop off the Malibu at the apartment and leave the location about 4 p.m. that same day, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said both Torres and Ferrer voluntarily spoke to police and confessed to being inside the Malibu along with another person only identified in the affidavit as “Justin.”
Torres said they met with someone aboard the Ford F-150 to sell Ferrer’s iPhone, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Torres stated (that) Mr. Ferrer entered the Ford F-150 through the passenger seat and observed two male subjects point handguns towards Mr. Ferrer. Mr. Torres was able to exit the vehicle and run from location and heard gun shots as he ran from the vehicles,” the affidavit stated.
Police said Torres later contacted Ferrer via phone and Ferrer claimed he shot someone inside the truck.
According to the affidavit, Ferrer said he entered the truck and a gun was pointed at his head.
“Mr. Ferrer confessed to hitting the gun away from his direction, grabbing the gun and shooting towards the driver,” the affidavit stated.
Both men remain jailed on a total of $800,000 in bonds.
