SAN ANTONIO – A man was arrested in connection with a deadly shooting on the West Side, according to an arrest affidavit.
Armando Aaron Rodriguez Jr., 26, is accused of fatally shooting Gregorio Garza, 40, on Feb. 27.
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San Antonio police officers responded to the shooting at a bus stop located in the 2800 block of West Commerce Street.
According to the affidavit, officials found Garza lying in the street unresponsive with an apparent gunshot wound. Garza was taken to a hospital, but was later pronounced dead.
An off-duty Dilley Police Department officer nearby responded to the shooting and detained Rodriguez, the affidavit states.
Rodriguez told investigators he shot Garza in self-defense. In the affidavit, Rodriguez said that Garza was looking at him and they exchanged words.
When the bus arrived, Rodriguez and Garza boarded, and a second verbal confrontation occurred near the back door.
The affidavit states that Rodriguez told investigators he yelled at the bus driver to open the back door and exited the bus as Garza followed him out.
Rodriguez said Garza grabbed his backpack and, as he turned around, he saw Garza had “lunged” to grab him, the affidavit states. Rodriguez said Garza was two feet away from him.
The affidavit states that Rodriguez then pulled out his gun and shot Garza.
According to Rodriguez, Garza did not make any verbal threats that led him to believe he was in imminent danger. He also did not see anything in Garza’s hands at the time of the shooting.
A witness at the bus stop reported that the two men exchanged words. The witness stated that Garza accused Rodriguez of looking at him, but they did not hear any verbal threats.
Rodriguez was initially released after providing his statement pending further investigation.
VIA Metropolitan Transit bus video obtained by investigators supported Rodriguez’s statement of the verbal altercation outside the bus stop and inside the bus.
However, the affidavit states the video does not support Rodriguez’s account that Garza lunged at him.
The affidavit states that Rodriguez pulled out a gun as soon as he stepped off the bus, and Garza followed him.
Rodriguez then walks toward the front of the bus, turns and points the weapon at Garza, the document states. Garza, who was near the back door of the bus, stopped when he saw the gun.
The affidavit states that Rodriguez immediately started shooting at Garza, who turned to run away as Rodriguez allegedly continued to fire his weapon.
Rodriguez was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Sunday on a murder charge, records show.
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