Man facing capital murder in shooting death of 11-year-old girl

Suspect D’Morea Keys, 22, in custody; second gunman sought

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of an eleven year old girl this past summer on the city’s Northeast side.

D’Morea Keys, 22, was taken into custody Thursday night on a charge of capital murder.

Police believe he is one of two gunmen who opened fire on a car Aug. 15, killing Donita Phillips, 11, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Phillips was riding in the vehicle with her family at the time in the 5400 block of Walzem Road.

The affidavit mentions that a second person, an adult, in a different vehicle also was hit by gunfire.

Phillips’ parents spoke to KSAT12 shortly after the murder, saying they were at a loss to explain why someone would target their vehicle.

They said they had no problems with anyone, and they did not believe the shooting was the result of road rage.

The affidavit offers no explanation or motive for the shooting.

It says that police developed Keys as a suspect after reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses, then getting tips about his identity.

Investigators found casings from two different weapons in the area, the affidavit says.

It says based on images in the video, police believe there was a second shooter in the car with Keys.

However, it says they still have not identified that person.


About the Authors:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Tim has been a photojournalist and video editor at KSAT since 1998. He came to San Antonio from Lubbock, where he worked in TV and earned his bachelor's degree in Electronic Media and Communication from Texas Tech University. Tim has won a handful of awards and has earned a master's in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Tech as well.