BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man was sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with a 2023 double murder at a Northeast Side hotel, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Kristian Ray Belmudez, 22, received his sentencing on Tuesday by 379th District Court Judge Ron Rangel.
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Belmudez, a then-teenager, shot and killed Gabriel A. Sanchez, 19, and Sanaa Keilani McNeil, 19, on Jan. 16, 2023, at a Travelodge in the 3800 block of Interstate 35 North.
After fleeing and being wanted on capital murder charges, Belmudez was arrested in March 2023.
During the initial investigation, investigators obtained video surveillance footage from the hotel showing Sanchez walking out the back door and later returning with a man later identified as Belmudez, according to an arrest affidavit.
Later on the night of Jan. 16, Belmudez and the victims were seen on surveillance footage meeting another person at a nearby gas station for an alleged drug deal.
The trio returned to the hotel, and about an hour later, video evidence showed Belmudez leaving the hotel room alone, carrying a firearm, a Tuesday news release from the DA’s office said.
In June 2023, both capital murder charges against Belmudez were dismissed due to insufficient evidence and a need for further investigation.
However, days later, Belmudez was arrested for the same crime after new evidence from San Antonio police presented to the DA’s office showed Belmudez admitting to being the person seen with the victims on QuikTrip surveillance video footage the night of the shooting.
“We know this outcome took time, but it was made possible through the exceptional teamwork of our office and the dedication of our law enforcement partners,” said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales.
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