She helped plan a robbery that left a man dead. She’s now facing a capital murder charge

A 19-year-old woman who admitted to police that she helped plan a robbery at her former workplace that left a Fort Worth man dead now faces a capital murder charge in the case.

Sonja Jones was arrested Monday on a capital murder warrant in connection with the Jan. 11 robbery and fatal shooting of Raymond Huerta, 26, at a Save-A-Lot grocery store in south Fort Worth.

Raymond Huerta did not work at the store at 5519 James Ave., but was trying to intervene in the robbery to protect his wife, an employee there, when he was shot multiple times.

“My husband showed his love for me till his last breath,” Jackie Huerta previously told the Star-Telegram.

Jones’ boyfriend, 21-year-old Marquis Sypho, has already been charged with capital murder in the case.

Two 16-year-old juveniles — one male and one female — have also been arrested in the case, accused of delinquent conduct/capital murder, police say.

According to Sypho’s arrest warrant, suspicions were raised about Jones’ involvement after an employee told homicide investigators that the former worker had entered the store twice shortly before the robbery — once to use the restroom and the second time to shop.

When later questioned in the case, Jones admitted to homicide detectives C.L. Brashear and Kyle Sullivan that she, her boyfriend and the two juveniles were at a gas station when one of the juveniles mentioned needing some “quick money.”

Because she used to work at the Save-A-Lot, they decided to rob the grocery store, she told police.

Jones told investigators that she drove to the store in her silver Ford Taurus. She and the female juvenile then entered the store to determine how many employees were inside then returned outside to tell Sypho.

She told police that she and the juvenile female then returned to the store before Sypho and the male juvenile came inside to rob it.

Employees told investigators that the two males entered the store wearing masks. They demanded the employees’ phones and money and that the store’s safe be opened.

Jackie Huerta told investigators that she was opening the safe when she heard a gunshot and looked up to see her husband running after the armed suspect. She said the gunman fired several more times and she saw her husband fall to the floor.

Jackie Huerta told the Star-Telegram that she was then struck by the suspect in the face and pistol-whipped when she ran to her husband’s aide.

The male suspects then fled the store with cash and phones, the affidavit states.

Another employee told police that he hid the two women with him after seeing the two masked suspects enter the store. The worker told police he found it puzzling that the two females ran to the front of the store once shots rang out, and not to the back with him.

Jones told investigators that it was Sypho who shot Huerta during the robbery.

She later directed investigators to the 2900 block of Quail Road, where she said Sypho and the juvenile male had discarded their clothes and the gun a few days after the robbery.

There, investigators found a pair of gray sweatpants with blood on them.

Jones was being held in the Tarrant County Jail Wednesday with bail set at $250,000. Sypho also remains held there in lieu of $350,000 bail in the capital murder case.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 3:53 PM with the headline "She helped plan a robbery that left a man dead. She’s now facing a capital murder charge."