Juan Romero's brother: Pool debt led to fatal beating

SAPD looking for 3 suspects

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police continue to search for three men accused of fatally beating 41-year-old Juan Romero Monday night in front of a convenience store on Vance Jackson.

Romero's brother, Adrian Romero, said his brother was lured to Coach's Corner, a pool hall next door to the convenience store, by a series a text messages and calls urging him to show up even though he was too late to play.

The last message came 15 minutes before the attack and read, "Careful."

"He had no idea this was going to happen. He didn't know," Adrian Romero said.

A camera captured the entire assault. Romero said police showed the video to his cousin, but it was too much.

"He said he could only see 10 seconds of the video, because he couldn't watch no more. It was that bad," he said.

A witness told police he didn't hear or see an altercation before the attack.

Romero said that speaks to the character of the men who beat his brother.

"Cowards. Somebody that can't take a fight one-on-one, you know? Somebody that has to catch somebody by surprise," he said.

One of the suspects, who police have identified as Larry Castro, was no stranger to his brother.

"They were friends for a long time, for maybe three or four years that I can remember. They were always helping each other out and everything, and it just turned bad," Romero said.

Romero said his brother beat Castro in pool, and Castro didn't want to pay what he'd bet.

The other two men have not been identified.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 224-STOP.

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