HOUSTON – A man charged with murder in the case of a man who was killed last week while trying to stop a robbery outside a north Harris County home appeared in court Thursday.
Gilbert Gomez, 19, and two juveniles, a 15- and 16-year-old were arrested in connection with the Friday night shooting death of 29-year-old Moyses Arreguin.
Prosecutors said the two teens tried to rob another teen in the driveway of his mother's home in the 19000 block of West Hardy. One of the teens pulled a gun and demanded the robbery victim's things, prosecutors said.
Arreguin witnessed the robbery, charged the thieves and told the 16-year-old victim to run in the house, according to court records.
The armed suspects fired several shots at the teen, and hit Arreguin multiple times, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, surveillance video showed the teens getting into a dark sedan that was parked about a block away. Gomez is believed to have been driving the car.
Investigators said in a news conference Wednesday that the surveillance video showed the group circling the neighborhood appearing to look for people to rob. They said that video was crucial in making the arrests.
Investigators have now arrested a third suspect in the capital murder of Moyses Arreguin, who was gunned down while trying to stop a neighborhood robbery. Those in custody now include 2 juveniles (15 and 16) and Gilbert Gomez Jr., 19. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/gwvr2pPc1D
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) August 2, 2018
Prosecutors said the vehicle seen in the video was found outside Gomez's home, where he was arrested for an open warrant. During his interview with police, prosecutors said Gomez confessed to picking up juveniles. He told police that one of the juveniles directed him to neighborhood where the shooting happened.
Gomez told investigators that the teen had been talking to a woman who told him that the robbery victim had a lot of money, prosecutors said. They planned to use the woman to lure the teen out of his house and then the group would rob him, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Gomez told investigators he dropped the teens off and came back when he heard gunshots and saw Arreguin lying on the ground.
Gomez said one of the teens told him they had to shoot Arreguin after he hit one of them in the head with a bat.
All three suspects have been charged with murder.
Gomez remains in jail with no bond.