17-year-old suspect hit, killed man with vehicle on North Side street following argument, police say

Affidavit: Fluid trail, witnesses led police to 17-year-old suspect Seth Mendellhall

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police have arrested a teenager who they say hit and killed a man with a vehicle following an argument at a North Side convenience store.

Seth Mendellhall, 17, was booked into the Bexar County Jail on Monday and charged with failure to stop and render aid resulting in death, records show.

He is accused of hitting Milton Tejeda, 29, late Wednesday at the intersection of Ramsgate Road and Stockbridge Lane, not far from Interstate 10.

A witness came forward and told police that Mendellhall and Tejeda were in the parking lot of a nearby convenience store and Tejeda asked about buying drugs, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. At some point, an argument broke out.

Mendellhall, who was driving a white Toyota Yaris, then struck Tejeda as he walked away, police said. The affidavit states that Tejeda was pinned underneath the vehicle.

Two other witnesses said they saw a white car make a U-turn at the intersection and speed off.

When officers arrived at the scene, they saw a fluid trail in the middle of the intersection and a broken zip tie.

They followed the fluid trail to a commercial property along I-10 and then northbound on Wurzbach Road. Investigators said the trail eventually led them to a white car parked along a sidewalk in the Whispering Oaks subdivision.

The car had front-end damage and had multiple zip ties holding the front bumper and grill together. The car’s undercarriage also had damage, the affidavit states.

Police contacted the owner of the car, who said he let his daughter borrow it. The last time he saw the car, Mendellhall was driving it, the owner said.

According to the affidavit, the owner called his daughter when he realized the car was involved in the crash.

His daughter claimed that another boy took the keys and drove off in the car. The affidavit states that the owner could hear Mendellhall “whispering” to the girl and telling her what to say.

The affidavit states that Mendellhall called his parents after the crash and told them he “hit a speed bump.” He said the car broke down, so his parents picked him up, police said.

Investigators said that Mendellhall also called a friend and told them he was “going to get caught” for hitting Tejeda.

Records show that Mendellhall’s bond is set at $75,000.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.