A substantial $60,000 reward is on the table for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in the murder of Joseph Banales, the UIW student who was fatally shot last year. Nearly 12 months have elapsed since the tragic incident occurred on I-35 near Olympia Parkway in Selma, with Banales becoming the unintended victim of what has been surmised as road rage gone deadly just before midnight on April 15, reported KENS 5.
Details furnished by the Selma Police Department sketch the scene of a dark sports car, possibly a Nissan 350Z/370Z, paired with a loud exhaust and potential spoiler, this detail feeding into the dreadful narrative that has left Frances Szabo and her family grappling with the loss of a son who had his entire future snatched away, Banales was driving home after attending a military ball, and the suddenness of the act on that ill-fated April evening rendered his family's timeline irreparably ruptured, as his mother stated in a heart-wrenching interview with KENS 5.
The Banales case has drawn attention from both local authorities and the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division, with the latter stepping up their contribution to the reward, now making it $30,000 for information that could lead to an arrest and eventual conviction, this increase was reported by KSAT.
Further driving the urgency is the notion voiced by Banales’ mother, who in a poignant assertion underscored that the killer’s liberty poses a persistent threat, meaning that without tips from witnesses or those knowledgeable, the perpetrator could very well harm another; stating to KENS 5, “If they did it once, they will do it again. I don’t want another mother to go through what I am going through. Please come forward if you have any information, even the smallest detail.”
Individuals privy to any information are being encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP or the Army CID at 210-221-1050; anonymity is an option through cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip.
