2nd arrest in far east El Paso teen’s shooting during drug dispute
UPDATE, June 9: Police announced a second arrest Wednesday in the shooting and wounding of a 17-year-old last week in far east El Paso.
Authorities said 25–year old Oscar Contreras was arrested by federal marshals a day prior and booked into El Paso's downtown jail, where he was being held on a million dollars bond.
He joins 17-year-old Jonathan Meraz, who was arrested earlier this week, in being charged in the June 3 shooting and wounding of Joey Joel Gonzalez, 17, along Nina Pearl Drive.
A police affidavit previously filed in the case indicated the shooting stemmed from a drug dispute.
UPDATE, June 7: Police announced an arrest Monday of a 17-year-old in the shooting and wounding of another 17-year-old last week in far east El Paso.
Jonathan Meraz was arrested by gang unit and SWAT officers following a standoff when he barricaded himself inside his home in the 3200 block of Merry Meadow.
Meraz is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of Joey Joel Gonzalez along Nina Pearl Drive last Friday. Gonzalez survived the attack and was treated at Del Sol Hospital for multiple gunshot wounds.
The arrest of Meraz came despite Gonzalez telling police he didn't want to press criminal charges. Meraz was being held in the downtown jail on $75,000 bond. Police didn't indicate a motive behind the shooting.
ORIGINAL REPORT, June 4: EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso police said two people were shot and wounded in separate incidents early Friday morning, but efforts to investigate were being hampered because both victims refused to cooperate with authorities and said they didn't want to press charges against their attackers.
One case involved a 17-year-old who was hospitalized after he was shot multiple times in far east El Paso in the 12400 block of Nina Pearl Drive.
Police said the teen suffered at least two gunshot wounds and was bleeding significantly when officers arrived and rendered first aid before taking him to a hospital for treatment. Both gunshot wounds were to one of the teen's legs.
A resident told ABC-7 that the teen was shot in a nearby park and stumbled to her home calling for help. In two surveillance videos obtained by ABC-7 (watch them in the video players at the top of this article), you can see the injured boy at the front door of the home - and in the other, at least a half-dozen gunshots could be heard; residents said they have previously complained about drug activity in the park.
The other early morning shooting involved a 29-year-old man who suffered a gunshot wound to the arm at 3349 Louisville Avenue in central El Paso.
Police described the wound as non-life threatening and said the man was being treated at University Medical Center.
In both instances, police said the victims told officers they didn't want the individuals who shot them prosecuted.
