A tragic turn of events unfolded in San Antonio as one man's life was cut short by a barrage of gunfire, and the alleged assailant is now behind bars, law enforcement officials report. According to KENS 5, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) said that they responded to a disturbance near the intersection of Lamar and Austin streets, where they discovered a man who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
The victim, 35 years old, was reportedly chased down and shot three to four times by the suspect, a man now identified as Jose Milton Alejo, witness accounts detailed the suspect fleeing the scene without giving aid to the stricken man and only thanks to a verified tip from Crime Stoppers, police were able to identify and arrest Alejo at a local gas station underlining the crucial role civilians play in aiding police to deliver swift justice after heinous crimes. The victim was transported to the hospital in a critical state but ultimately succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by SAPD Sergeant Howard, and Alejo, who didn't resist apprehension, was charged with murder.
A separate report from KSAT dives deeper into the backstory of the deadly confrontation, revealing that over a month prior to the arrest, on April 16, a 49-year-old man named Ernest Phillips Jr. was also shot and killed near the same downtown perimeter. Originally, it was believed the victim and Alejo had been embroiled in an altercation, resulting in Phillips trying to escape before being gunned down by Alejo.
A crucial witness later tipped off the authorities, telling officers that Alejo had confessed to the shooting, which he claimed was in self-defense — a statement bolstered by the witness' assertion that Phillips had been armed with a pipe during their confrontation, yet court records suggest, investigators evidently determined otherwise and charged Alejo with murder for the incident after obtaining an arrest warrant, SAPD, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, apprehended Alejo on the strength of an unrelated, active warrant and later connected him conclusively to the April 16 shooting. Alejo's combined bond, as set by the county, totals $132,000.
