Suspects In Fatal Shooting On River Road Arrested

Seven people have been charged with capital murder in connection with a fatal shooting on River Road early Monday morning.

The suspects are:

Castillo, Smith-Saucedo, Joe Magana, Vargas and Tobias were arrested Monday afternoon. Lerma was arrested Monday night, and Xavier Magana was arrested Tuesday afternoon. All are being held on $500,000 bond and face charges of capital murder.

 

The shooting left 21-year-old Joel Espino dead and two other men injured—suspects Joe Magana and Xavier Magana.

 

The San Marcos Police Department responded to a residence in the 1700 block of River Road at 2:13 a.m. Monday after a report that a person at the address was shot in the head. The caller reported three men, all wearing black, came to the home with a gun, shots were fired, and the suspects drove away.

 

Officers were able to locate the suspects’ vehicle, a silver Toyota Avalon. Officers stopped the vehicle and took four males suspects into custody.  Officers found a handgun when they searched of the car.

 

Espino’s body was found at the residence on River Road with an apparent gunshot wound. A second weapon, a stolen rifle, was found at the home.

 

A short time after the incident, Joe Magana and Xavier Magana arrived at Central Texas Medical Center with gunshot wounds. Xavier Magana was transferred to University Medical Center-Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, and Joe Magana was released from CTMC with a gunshot to the shoulder. Xavier Magana was released from UMC-Brackenridge Tuesday afternoon and transferred to the Hays County Law Enforcement Center.

 

Police believe this incident may have started as an attempted robbery that escalated to a shooting between the people in the residence and the suspects. There are also reports that the residence is a known drug location.

 

Hays County Narcotics Task Force and Department of Public Safety Crime Lab are assisting SMPD with the investigation.