Suspects Identified In Wednesday’s Sadler House Assault
After a thorough, multi-county investigation, the San Marcos Police Department has identified three suspects in the shooting incident that occurred at Sadler House Apartments, 1271 Sadler Drive, on Wednesday evening.
On May 27 at approximately 5:12 PM, San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) officers were dispatched to Sadler House Apartments in response to multiple reports of shots fired.
Initial reports included the possibility of an active shooter, but the investigation revealed this was not a random incident.
Numerous officers from several agencies including SMPD, Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Kyle Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Ranger Division, Hays County Constables, and Texas State University Police Department responded and surrounded the area.
Once the area was contained, two male victims and several witnesses were located. The San Marcos Fire Department and Hays County EMS worked to treat victims and assist during the incident.
The two victims reported they were attacked by multiple armed assailants in an attempted robbery at the victim’s apartment.
During the robbery, one of the victims used a handgun to shoot at the assailants, striking one of them in the leg.
While fleeing from the gunfire, this shot assailant reportedly fell down off the building stairwell, breaking his leg as he landed.
The injured assailant was then helped into a White 2016 Lexus by an accomplice. The two assailants fled in this Lexus passenger car and a third assailant fled in a newer Black Jeep SUV.
Witnesses at the scene provided the Lexus license plate number to SMPD, who sent out notices to law enforcement in surrounding areas, including Houston as the Lexus was registered in Houston, to be on the lookout for the suspected offenders and their reported vehicles.
Several detectives and the SMPD Evidence Department responded to the scene and began processing the area. The crime scene was expansive and took over six hours to process.
Additionally, the SMPD Drone Team assisted with capturing aerial photographs of the scene.
The crime scene processing team located numerous items of evidence during the exterior crime scene search, as well as during a search of the victim’s apartment, which was completed with a search warrant. Items collected from the crime scenes included a large quantity of drugs, money and guns.
At around 8 PM, SMPD received communication from the Texas DPS Houston Violent Crime Squad that two males matching the descriptions of the assailants were admitted to Houston Methodist West Hospital in Katy, TX with gunshot wounds and a broken leg.
Additionally, the males were operating the white Lexus and one of the males was the registered owner of the vehicle. These two suspects were identified as Mauricio Jose Berrios (DOB 11/17/1995) and Airton Mosquera (DOB 11/14/1999).
Texas Rangers, Texas DPS Houston Violent Crime Squad, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and the Katy Police Department responded to the hospital to serve the suspects warrants for Aggravated Robbery.
Mosquera was subsequently released after receiving treatment and was apprehended on the warrant by the Katy Police Department and temporarily held in their detention facilities until SMPD officers arrived to transport him back to Hays County.
Mosquera is currently booked into the Hays County Law Enforcement Center, but a bond has not yet been set by a magistrate.
Berrios required more extensive treatment for his injuries and was medically transferred to Ben Taub Hospital.
Through the continued investigation, a third assailant was identified. The identity of this third suspect is not being released at this time, as active efforts are underway to apprehend the person.
SMPD appreciates all of the assistance received from many different law enforcement agencies and from both public-facing and behind the scenes sources, including the crime analyst and 911 dispatchers, to enhance the team and solve this case expediently.
