A Bexar County jury has sent Ruben Cantu to prison for life after finding him guilty of murder and aggravated assault in a nightclub parking lot shooting that cut short a South Side birthday celebration. The February 2025 attack killed 42-year-old Ricky Marquez Jr. and wounded another man, capping a chaotic scene that jurors were told unfolded on grainy surveillance video and through a string of eyewitness accounts.
According to News 4 San Antonio, Judge Kristina Escalona of the 186th District Court imposed the life sentence on June 29 after jurors returned guilty verdicts earlier in the month. “Today’s sentence represents accountability for the devastating loss of Ricky Marquez Jr. and the harm caused to the victims and their families,” District Attorney Joe Gonzales said. His office noted that Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Melissa Rust and Nicholas Pina led the prosecution, with victim advocate Laura Covarrubias and investigator Jim Cheatham backing the case behind the scenes.
What happened
The gunfire erupted in the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 2025, outside a bar in the 2200 block of Commercial Avenue near Papi Gallo Cantina during a birthday gathering that spilled out into the parking lot, according to KSAT. Witnesses told investigators a large fight broke out outside the venue, and surveillance footage later showed a man who matched the suspect’s description firing into the crowd. One victim, later identified as Marquez, died at the scene. A second man survived after being taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the thigh.
How investigators linked Cantu to the shooting
Prosecutors say San Antonio officers tied Cantu to the shooting through witness statements, surveillance from the bar and a separate terroristic threat report that surfaced in March 2025, which helped lead to photo lineups and his arrest about a month after the gunfire, according to News 4 San Antonio. Authorities allege Cantu admitted during another encounter that he had killed someone, and acquaintances, along with a driver who had interacted with him, later identified him. The district attorney’s office credited victim advocates and investigators for assembling the evidence that ultimately persuaded the jury.
Aftermath
With the life sentence now in place, prosecutors say the verdict holds Cantu accountable for the deadly shooting and highlights what can happen when violence spills from nightlife spots into public spaces. The case stands as a pointed reminder to patrons and venue operators that fights can turn lethal in a hurry when firearms enter the mix. The conviction and sentence close out an investigation that began on San Antonio’s South Side more than a year ago, even as Marquez’s family members and community advocates are expected to keep pressing for stronger measures to keep local nightlife safer.
