A second suspect is now behind bars in a northwest Houston killing that shook an apartment complex on Sherwood Lane last summer, according to Houston police.
HPD officials say 39-year-old Jose Cortez-Torres was arrested Friday by members of the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail and has been charged with murder. The shooting happened about 10:50 p.m. on July 5, 2025, outside an apartment complex on Sherwood Lane and left 35-year-old Angel Chavira dead after he was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.
SWAT Arrests Second Suspect
In a statement, the City of Houston said SWAT officers took Cortez-Torres into custody and booked him into the Harris County Jail on a murder charge in the 209th Criminal District Court. The release notes that booking photos for Cortez-Torres and for the previously arrested suspect, 48-year-old Octavio Garcia Cruz, are attached to the case materials.
Surveillance Video And Earlier Arrest
In August, investigators released surveillance video that showed two Hispanic men approaching the apartment shortly before shots were fired and asked the public for help identifying them, as reported by KPRC Click2Houston.
Weeks later, on Oct. 8, 2025, officers arrested Cruz and charged him with murder while a second suspect remained at large, according to FOX26 Houston. That open spot in the case is what Cortez-Torres is now accused of filling.
Charges And Custody
A copy of the HPD media release circulated to reporters lists Cortez-Torres as charged in the 209th Criminal District Court and Cruz in the 184th Criminal District Court, and states that both men were booked into the Harris County Jail, per the HPD media release. The department recorded the incident under case number 087559725 and said both suspects fled on foot after the shooting.
What’s Next
With the second arrest now on the books, investigators say the cases will move forward to prosecution in their respective criminal courts, according to the City of Houston. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
