2 men arrested in connection with September shooting death of 16-year-old boy

Julian Alex Vera, Mario Enrique Duarte charged with murder in slaying of Sabstien Anthony Diaz

Julian Alex Vera (left) and Mario Enrique Duarte (right). (Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

SAN ANTONIO – Two men have been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the September shooting death of a 16-year-old boy on the city’s North Side, court records show.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT 12 News, police received a call for a shooting at The Estates at Northwood apartment complex on Sept. 4.

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Police said they found Sabstien Anthony Diaz, 16, in the parking lot of the complex with a gunshot wound to his chest. First responders attempted to save Diaz’s life, but he died from his injuries.

According to the affidavit, security camera footage showed Diaz driving to the front of the complex and stopping near the office. A few minutes later, two men, Julian Alex Vera and Mario Enrique Duarte, were seen walking up to his vehicle.

“The vehicle can be seen reversing as the two males who walked up to the vehicle each fire a gun into the vehicle before fleeing on foot,” the affidavit said.

Three passengers who were in the vehicle with Diaz at the time of the shooting also left the scene on foot, according to the affidavit. Investigators said they found over 30 THC Vape cartridges inside a white backpack in Diaz’s car.

On Sept. 23, 19 days after Diaz’s death, one of the passengers in Diaz’s car told investigators that they drove to the complex to sell the cartridges to a person they met on a social media app.

According to the affidavit, the witness told investigators that the men talked about paying for the cartridges through a “phone pay” app. After they agreed to the terms, the men fired their weapons into the car, killing Diaz.

Investigators searched the victim’s phone, which had Snapchat— a messaging application— open and running. One of the last messages sent from the device was sent to a user later identified as Vera, 20, the affidavit said.

Investigators said Vera admitted to being involved in the shooting in a police interview on Dec. 4. During the interview, Vera named Duarte, 17, as the second man who opened fire on the victim.

Vera was arrested for his involvement in a similar crime on Sept. 17, 2020, according to court records.

Both men were booked into the Bexar County Jail on Saturday on a murder charge.

Related: San Antonio police searching for persons of interest after teen shot, killed at North Side apartment complex


About the Author:

Jakob Rodriguez is a digital journalist at KSAT 12. He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star.