Police Arrest Suspect Wanted For Beating Death
UPDATE: 9.25.07
EL PASO, TEXAS – Police charge two more men in the city’s latest murder. Through their ongoing investigation, detectives identified the two other men involved in the murder of Gabriel Lopez II. Detectives arrested 32-year old Johnny Ortiz and 23-year old Steve Baquera on one count of Murder and one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Both subjects have a total bond of $275,000.
ORIGINALLY ADDED 9.24.07
EL PASO, TX. – A 43-year-old father was beaten to death, and police say, the fight started because of a feud between his son and another man.
Police arrested22-year-old Eric Michael Sanchez for the death of Gabriel Lopez, II. He’s also accused of assaulting Lopez’s 22-year-old son. Police are not releasing Sanchez’s photo because the investigation is not over. They are looking for at least three other men who may have participated in the attack.
Monday, ABC-7went to Sanchez’ neighborhood looking for answers. El Paso Police Spokesman, Chris Mears said,”[EPPD] did arrest the primary person, the one that had some ongoing dispute with the victims.I can say, yeah, we know what it is now, but I’m not going to discuss it.” That’s because police are bent on finding who they believe were sanchez’ accomplices. Detectiveswent door-to-door in the Lopez’ neighborhood Monday, questioning those who may have witnessed the attack.
ABC-7 went to Sanchez’ home Monday afternoon in far northeast El Paso, about a mile from the murder scene. Neighbors told us Sanchez lives there with his wife or girlfriend and young child. Although there was a green escort in the driveway, no one answered the door. Neighbors of Sanchez said they spotted him partying in front of his house at about 10 p.m. Saturday night, just before the murder occurred.
Neighbors alsosaid Sanchez often partied with men he worked with at Hi-Tech Auto Restyling, located behind his duplex on Dyer Street. ABC-7spoke to Sanchez’ uncle, who owns Hi-Tech, but he would only confirm that his nephew worked there.”Mr. Lopez and his son were targeted specifically… It wasn’t a random act of violence,” Mears went on to say. Police are also not saying what the injuries were that specifically killed the elderLopez. His son made a trip to the hospital with head and back injuries, but has since been released.
