SAN ANTONIO – Two teenage brothers accused in the deadly shooting of 14-year-old Simon Cuevas have had their charges reduced.
In a statement to KSAT, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said that, based on evidence, the charges were lowered from capital murder to assault causing bodily injury.
Cuevas was beaten and shot near a San Antonio Independent School District alternative school in April.
The siblings, ages 14 and 16, remain in custody.
During a previous hearing, it was revealed that the 16-year-old boy had a previous charge pending for robbery. When a warrant was issued, he turned himself in on Aug. 14.
The 14-year-old boy, who also had a prior unknown charge, has had two violations since his arrest while in custody.
BACKGROUND
On April 16, SAPD and SAISD officers found Cuevas with a gunshot wound to his abdomen at the corner of South Elmendorf Street and Merida Street, near Brewer Academy, according to an arrest affidavit.
Cuevas was later taken to a local hospital, where he died.
San Antonio police have identified three other suspects in the shooting.
Fernando Flores, 18, was arrested in August, Bexar County court records show. Flores was charged with capital murder of a person older than 10 years old but younger than 15 years old.
Caeser Tijerina, 20, was formerly wanted for capital murder in Cuevas’ death. However, authorities said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in August.
Andrew Cantu, 17, is currently wanted for capital murder, according to San Antonio police.
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 a group of five people following Cuevas as he left school. Previous KSAT reporting indicated that Cuevas 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.
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