A 16-year-old boy, implicated in a Southeast Side murder, was nabbed last week when found in an apartment during a separate murder investigation's raid, according to reports from KSAT. The unnamed juvenile was tied to the shooting death of 61-year-old Michael Molina, who died on September 8 from his injuries after being shot multiple times on Aug. 30.
The teen was arrested on Dec. 8 after Converse Police, Texas Rangers, and Alamo Area SWAT personnel searched the apartment in relation to the murder of 22-year-old Khadija Derry. Court documents revealed the youth faced "six active warrants including one for murder out of the San Antonio Police Department," KSAT reported, however, the specificity of the murder charge was initially unclear. Further inquiry by KSAT into police documents confirmed that the teen's warrants were indeed linked to Molina's August slaying, with charges that included murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, cruelty to a non-livestock animal, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and violation of probation.
In a related development, 18-year-old Tristan Avery Lerma was also apprehended for his involvement in Molina's death, as outlined in a separate report by KSAT. Lerma, who has been charged with eight crimes this year and was recently out on bond for an unrelated charge, now faces murder, among other charges. In identifying Lerma, detectives utilized a combination of interviews, surveillance footage, and social media content, including an Instagram video pinpointing Lerma at the scene. The video displayed someone in the driver's seat of a 2017 Subaru Outback, which matched the description of the vehicle involved in the attack.
Michael Molina, who was inside his home at the time of the assault, was an unintended victim of gunfire aimed at his grandson. The attack appears to have been a calculated hit due to the grandson's involvement in a 2021 homicide investigation. During the frantic scene, a neighbor engaged the assailants, returning fire and striking their vehicle. Minutes later, the younger suspect, later identified as the 16-year-old, was left at an urgent care clinic with a gunshot wound. The grandson, Molina's wife, and their children escaped the attack unharmed, but the family dog succumbed to its injuries.
Lerma's bond has been set at $450,000, according to court records. No names have been released for the other involved suspects as of yet, particularly in the case of the unidentified teenager due to his minor status.
