A teenage suspect who allegedly boasted about shooting a homeowner during a vehicle burglary has been slapped with a new charge, say authorities. According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, 19-year-old John Salinas is now facing a charge of aggravated robbery linked to a shooting incident on February 27.
Deputies accuse Salinas of firing a shot at a homeowner who confronted him while he was burglarizing a vehicle in the 8800 block of Creager Canyon, as reported by KSAT. The homeowner was hit in the stomach but has since recovered. Sheriff Javier Salazar said that multiple people were involved in vehicle burglaries in the area at that time, including Salinas, who arrived in a stolen Lexus, also stolen earlier that day.
The investigation further revealed that Salinas, who was initially nabbed on March 6 for his alleged involvement in a separate burglary and shooting on February 26, had bragged about the incidents. Surveillance video linked Salinas and several comrade thieves, dressed in hoodies and masks, to vehicle burglaries across the neighborhood, as they scouted cars and later fled the scene in stolen vehicles, which included an Audi, a Kia, and a Hyundai, KSAT detailed.
Christopher Santiago, the homeowner who was shot while checking on noises outside his home, told KENS 5 in an interview that he is now considering firearm ownership after the terrifying ordeal. Santiago remarked, "It would've taken them no time to open the garage and walk into our house and they had a gun, I had nothing." He urged burglars to reconsider their life choices, saying, "Don’t ruin your life for materialistic things, don’t ruin somebody else’s life."
Salazar emphasized the boldness of the criminal activity, as the sheriff stated during a news conference, "I have no doubt that they were trying to kill that victim in this instance." The Sheriff advised residents to clear their vehicles each night, secure them, and install video cameras with motion sensors for added security, and to refrain from confronting suspects as they might be armed and dangerous. The authorities are continuing their search for the remaining suspects and the stolen Lexus, with license plate JBG9307, the KENS 5 report indicated. A GoFundMe account has been set up to aid the victim with his medical expenses.
