SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police officers are searching for two suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of a San Antonio Independent School District student in April.
Caesar Tijerina, 20, is wanted for capital murder, according to an SAPD post to its Facebook page. Police are also searching for a second suspect, whose identity cannot be released due to his age.
The second suspect is also wanted for capital murder, the department said.
SAPD and San Antonio ISD officers found Simon Cuevas, 14, with a gunshot wound to his abdomen at the corner of South Elmendorf Street and Merida Street on April 16, according to an arrest affidavit. Cuevas was later transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Authorities arrested Fernando Flores, 18, on Thursday and charged him with capital murder of a person older than 10 years old but younger than 15 years old in connection with Cuevas’ death.
In Flores’ affidavit, witnesses told police that several individuals attacked Cuevas before one of them pulled out a gun and shot the teen.
Surveillance video showed the group of five suspects were following him as he left school. Previous KSAT reporting indicated that he attended an alternative program at Brewer Academy.
After Cuevas was beaten and shot, the group fled the area, according to the affidavit. Police said the suspects all worked together to plan the attack on Cuevas and participated in the assault that eventually led to his shooting death.
San Antonio ISD sent the following statement to KSAT regarding Flores’ arrest on Friday:
“We are grateful to law enforcement for their pursuit of justice in this case. We continue to lift up the family who suffered the senseless loss of their son and our student, who will always be a member of our own SAISD familia. We hope this news brings his family, and ours, some comfort.”
Anyone with any information that can lead to the arrest of the two additional suspects is asked to contact SAPD’s Homicide Office at 210-207-7635.
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