BAYTOWN, Texas – A fourth person who was being questioned in connection with the fatal shooting of a Baytown mother has been formally charged, according to authorities.
Gregory Donnell, 19, has been charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting, the Baytown Police Department said.
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Three other teens were previously arrested in connection with the deadly home invasion on Aug. 3 that left 40-year-old Margarita Villalon, a mother of 11, dead in Baytown, police said.
They have been identified as 17-year-old Josue Lopez, 17-year-old Kain Lopez, and a 16-year-old unidentified male, all from Baytown.
Initially, Josue Lopez was charged with capital murder and Kain Lopez and the other teen were charged with aggravated robbery. However, their charges have all been upgraded to include aggravated robbery and capital murder respectively, police said.
Baytown police said they were able to make an arrest because one of Villalon’s sons recognized one of the teens accused.
Police said the incident happened in the 1600 block of Alabama at around 1:45 a.m.
According to officers, four armed suspects broke into the home and confronted three teenaged siblings (two males and one female). Investigators said a verbal and physical altercation occurred and the teens’ parents came out of the room.
Donnell’s bail was set at $250,000.
#BREAKING: Police provide update on Baytown home invasion.
Posted by KPRC2 / Click2Houston on Monday, August 3, 2020
Police said when the mother and father came out of their room, the woman was fatally shot by one of the suspects.
Detectives learned during their investigation that these same suspects were also responsible for a residential burglary earlier that night, as well as another shooting that occurred a few hours after the deadly home invasion, which all happened in the same neighborhood. Police said homeowners caught the group, where one of the residents was shot in the leg.
“When that call dropped, we flooded the area with officers and a couple of our officers actually spotted Josue and another, his brother, in an alleyway,” Lt. Dorris said.
Detectives said Josue Lopez is charged with capital murder, while Kain Lopez and the 16-year-old are charged with aggravated robbery. All three teens remain in police custody.