3 arrested on murder charges in Arlington after tip about location led to school lockdowns
Three people were arrested and face charges of capital murder in Arlington after a tip led to a search and the lockdown of Wimbish and Pope elementary schools Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Arlington police announced around 3:40 p.m. Wednesday they received a tip that a suspect in the Tuesday shooting death of a 19-year-old man outside a motel in the city was in the area of Randol Mill Road and Fielder Road.
The victim, identified as Mareon Robertson, was taken part way to the hospital in a private vehicle and then met by an ambulance that took him the rest of the way. He died at the hospital.
At about 6 p.m., Wednesday, police said they arrested one suspect they received a tip about and two associates who were with him.
Police on Thursday confirmed the three arrested were 45-year-old James Capps, 17-year-old Joseph Garcia and 18-year-old Toby Garcia. All three face charges of capital murder and evading arrest, according to police and Arlington jail records.
Police said in a news release they believe Capps and Joseph Garcia were in a car which Robertson entered just before the shooting in the parking lot of a motel in the 6000 block of South Cooper Street. When Robertson got out of the vehicle, police said, Toby Garcia approached him with a gun and shot him.
Detectives believe the plan originally was to rob Robertson and Toby Garcia shot him as he tried to get away, according to the release.
Police found all three suspects hiding in a ditch Wednesday evening, according to the release. Capps and Joseph Garcia both face charges of capital murder and evading arrest. Toby Garcia was booked on suspicion of murder and evading arrest, but that murder charge is expected be upgraded to capital murder when the case is filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, according to police.
“Getting these suspects into custody took a tremendous team effort,” Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said in the release. “Our Homicide, Fugitive, SWAT, Gang, Violent Crime, and Aviation Units, along with our Community Action Team and Patrol officers all worked together seamlessly on this case to identify these suspects and get them off the streets.”
The lockdowns at Wimbish and Pope elementary schools were initiated out of caution because of their proximity to the search area, according to police.
This story was originally published May 18, 2022 at 8:49 PM.