SAN ANTONIO – Authorities have arrested a man accused of flagging down a driver and fatally shooting him during a robbery attempt last October.
San Antonio police say Auguston Kane Medelez, 19, and another unidentified man stopped the driver, Francisco Mendoza, just before 8 a.m. on Oct. 11 in the 1600 block of West Hermine Boulevard on the North Side.
The suspects appeared to be in need of a phone or help and when Mendoza stopped, they shot him and took his cellphone, an arrest affidavit states.
The suspects walked away from the scene as Mendoza rolled his truck into a fence. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Surveillance footage from the area showed the suspects breaking into another car prior to the shooting, the affidavit states.
Investigators said they were able to identify Medelez as a suspect based on a clear image from the footage, neighbor interviews and anonymous tips. However, when officers attempted to speak with him at his residence, he was not there.
Through phone records, investigators found that he communicated with friends and family the day of the incident.
Medelez told them that the “laws” were looking for him, and asked if he could stay with them, the affidavit states.
His mother suggested he stay away from the crime scene location and stay at a friend’s house, the affidavit states. Investigators said she texted him: “Ily (I love you) son I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
The suspect also contacted a friend and asked if he had any more “9s,” police said.
“This was significant as the shell casings found at the scene were 9-millimeter casings,” the affidavit states.
Records show Medelez was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder. His bond is set at $175,000.
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