San Antonio streets turned deadly last month when an attempted gun sale escalated into a fatal shooting, leading to the arrest of a third teenager implicated in the case. According to FOX San Antonio, 18-year-old James Jose Garcia faces capital murder charges in the death of 36-year-old Steven Thomas Gagne. Garcia, alongside David Francisco Rebelo-Garcia, 19, and an unnamed 16-year-old boy also charged with capital murder, are accused of turning a firearm transaction into a robbery that ended in bloodshed.

The fatal encounter unfolded on March 30 near Chaucer Avenue on San Antonio's South Side. Investigators stated that the trio met with Gagne, who intended to sell them a firearm, but the situation quickly deteriorated. An armed confrontation ensued when one of the suspects grabbed the gun from Gagne, prompting him to draw another weapon. In response, another suspect started firing at Gagne, hitting him multiple times. The victim was discovered on the street with several gunshot wounds, ultimately succumbing to his injuries despite being rushed to hospital.

Details from the investigation reveal a planned robbery, with law enforcement officials gathering evidence from text and audio messages between the suspects discussing their plot. Further incriminating evidence was found in the electronic trail of messages between Rebelo-Garcia and Gagne that set the stage for the ill-fated sale. These digital footprints played a pivotal role in the arrests, as cited in the arrest documents obtained by FOX San Antonio.

"Garcia initially told police another suspect fired at Gagne, but according to recorded audio with a friend, Garcia admitted to shooting Gagne", revealed the affidavit, as reported by KSAT. Before his arrest at the scene, Garcia discarded his own gun, complicating the immediate identification of the shooters. All suspects are now in police custody with Rebelo-Garcia and Garcia held at the Bexar County Jail. The name of the minor remains withheld due to legal protections for underage offenders.