A 26-year-old man, Evin Geovanny Mata Guzman, was arrested in connection with a triple homicide in Far North Dallas. The January shootout, which resulted in three fatalities and two injuries, occurred at the Landmark on the Valley apartments. Details concerning Guzman’s legal representation or bond information have not been disclosed. Guzman is currently detained in Dallas County jail facing capital murder charges, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
On January 6, gunfire in the apartment complex parking lot ended the lives of 31-year-old Cesar Aaron Birrueta-Soto, 29-year-old Queidin Flores, and 22-year-old Stanley Chachagua. The two surviving victims were rushed to the hospital, one in critical condition and the other with more stable injuries, per WFAA.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia stated that the shooting was not a random act but was drug-related. He expressed that involvement in illegal activities, though not justifying the loss of life, often correlates with the city’s homicides. "I will say first of all being involved in illicit activity is no reason to lose your life, although placing yourself in that kind of situation has lent itself to the majority of our murders. They are people involved in these types of illegal activity", as reported by WFAA.
Authorities had been on Mata-Guzman’s trail since January 9, mere days after the crime, finally apprehending him on December 1, nearly a year later. During the manhunt, he was considered "armed and dangerous." With the arrest, Guzman now faces capital murder charges, while the Dallas police have increased patrols around the apartment complex to bolster community safety, as per WFAA.
