SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police said a man shot and killed Tuesday morning at a Northwest Side motel shares family ties with the suspect in his murder.
>>Suspect arrested for murder in connection with shooting outside Northwest Side motel, records show
SAPD confirmed that Richard Cervera, 25, is the nephew of the victim, now identified as Ricardo Cervera, Jr., 53.
It is still unclear what led to the deadly shooting, which happened on the second-floor landing outside a room at the Flex Studios motel located along Northwest Loop 410 near Culebra Road.
Police said they arrested Richard Cervera nearby, along Alamo Downs Parkway.
One fellow guest at the motel said the murder left her shaken.
“I don’t feel safe. I have two girls,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified. “I’ve heard gunshots before. Just not that close.”
During the early hours of the investigation, SAPD thought there may be more people involved in the murder.
Officers tracked down a vehicle, which witnesses said was at the crime scene, at a home on Rita Avenue, near Culebra Road and Benrus Drive.
The department said that officers moved into place, surrounding the Rita Avenue home.
“All the cops that were there — helicopter and the drone, all that,“ Rudy Cura said, describing the scene. “It was like a little parade for us, I guess.”
Cura said he watched officers initially bring out about a half dozen people, some in handcuffs.
Then, for approximately two hours, officers remained in place, making announcements on a loudspeaker and trying to convince someone who they believed was still inside to surrender.
In the end, officers learned the home was empty.
Officers also released almost all of the people they had detained.
“Who were they yelling to? There was nobody. Wow, that’s crazy,” Cura said. “It was a waste of time.”
At this time, Richard Cervera, the victim’s nephew, is the only suspect arrested in connection with the murder.
The 25-year-old remains in custody at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
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