Three young men allegedly fatally shot two people after one of the victims insulted a girl, while an inmate provided police with key information on the double homicide, court documents state.
Officers arrested Manuel Canedo, 17, Jose Emmanuel Saldana, 19, and Jesus Ivan Lopez, 20
, on suspicion of capital murder. Canedo and Saldana are named as the gunmen in a criminal complaint affidavit. Lopez was the alleged getaway driver.
The men allegedly fatally shot Joshua Michael Himes, 20, and Francisco Javier Ignacio, 20, during a fight while a group of people was drinking about 3:40 a.m. on Sept. 12 at Tom Lea Upper Park at 900 E. Rim Road in Central El Paso.
'She is bad'
The alleged shooters and victims were part of the group drinking when one of the victims allegedly
said, "she is bad," referring to a girl with the alleged gunman, the criminal complaint affidavit states. The affidavit does not name the girl "due to concerns for her safety," an El Paso police officer wrote in the affidavit.
The suspects had picked up the girl in a white pickup truck equipped with wide tires, the girl told detectives. She added that she saw two black firearms lying on the center console, the affidavit states. The group went to Tom Lea park. She claimed she saw Saldana and Canedo get the guns out of the car.
One of the victims allegedly "made (the) disrespectful remark" about the girl. Lopez allegedly confronted the victims, telling them, "do something," as the suspects and girl walked back to the truck.
Himes and Ignacio followed the group, with one of the victims punching Canedo, she told detectives. Canedo and Saldana fired their guns at Himes and Ignacio, the affidavit states. Lopez drove the group away from the shooting.
The girl claimed the alleged gunmen discussed where they could hide the guns and the truck.
Witnesses ID vehicle used in shooting
El Paso officers arrived at the shooting and found the victims' bodies.
Witnesses told police they saw a white, lifted, four-door pickup truck with black-and-silver rims, oversized tires, bright white aftermarket LED headlights, and black body-side molding along the passenger-side doors leave immediately after the shooting.
The surveillance videos led police to the Sandoval Apartments, located at 5353 Ridge St. Spetsin West El Paso. The video shows the truck immediately leaving the apartment.
Hudspeth County inmate provides info to police
As police were investigating, a Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office deputy reported on Sept. 16 that an inmate had details about the shooting.
The inmate said he was working as "an outside trustee and assisting with mechanical work in the jail's secured impound lot" when Canedo came up to him. The inmate knew Canedo from when they were in jail together a few weeks earlier.
Canedo asked the inmate if he had heard about the fatal El Paso shooting. He allegedly told the inmate that he and his "homie" committed the shooting after they were being "jumped," the affidavit states.
Canedo also allegedly said the truck was now in Fort Worth, Texas. The inmate told police that the truck had been used by Canedo in a trafficking case. No further details are included about that incident.
The inmate immediately reported what Canedo said to the deputy. The truck used in the trafficking case had the same license plate numbers as the truck seen in the surveillance video. Officers found through license-plate-reader records that the truck was in Fort Worth.
Suspect provides details on El Paso fatal shooting
Officers questioned Lopez on Sept. 17. Lopez provided a statement to police. He identified Canedo and Saldana as the shooters, the affidavit states.
Lopez claimed he and the girl were in the truck when Canedo and Saldana got into a fight with the victims, the affidavit states. Canedo and Saldana shot the alleged victims during the fight, he added.
He drove the other suspects and the girl to the girl's home. He switched seats with Canedo and asked to be taken home, the affidavit states.
The El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office conducted autopsies on the victims. The medical examiner determined Himes and Ignacio died from gunshot wounds, ruling each death as a homicide.
Officers arrested Canedo, Saldana and Lopez on suspicion of capital murder. They were booked into the El Paso County jail on Friday, Sept. 18.
Canedo and Saldana remain jailed on a $750,000 bond, jail logs show. Lopez is being held on a $1 million bond. A bond hearing set for Lopez on Sunday, Sept. 20, was canceled, court records show.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Affidavit reveals motive in El Paso Tom Lea park double homicide
