69-year-old man killed in Fort Worth drive-by shooting was innocent bystander: warrant
Mario Gonzalez had an issue with members of the Latin Kings because he had a gold chain taken during an altercation with them in the fall of 2021.
His plan to get even was simple: go by their home and open fire, police said.
On the evening of Oct. 31, Gonzalez drove a Hellcat Charger in the 3700 block of Lebow Street in Fort Worth, and 23-year-old Jakari Brown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stood up through a sunroof and started shooting, according to a warrant.
But Brown missed the intended target.
Evidio Rodriguez, 69, was shot and killed as he stood in the front yard of a home on Lebow Street, and three other family members were wounded in the drive-by shooting on Halloween, according to the warrant obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Gonzalez, 19, was arrested a few days after the Halloween fatal drive-by shooting, while Brown was taken into custody on Tuesday.
Authorities said Brown and Gonzalez face murder charges in the shooting.
Gonzalez has denied being involved in the shooting or being in the area at the time of the drive-by, according to the warrant.
The warrant written by Fort Worth Detective P.A. Vegan gave these details on the shooting:
An altercation between Gonzalez and members of the Latin Kings had occurred just before Oct. 31. A gold chain taken from Gonzalez during the altercation was worth $24,000.
Gonzalez was known to Fort Worth narcotics officers as a rapper with an Instagram account.
A witness told detectives that on the evening of Oct. 31 they were standing in the front yard when a black vehicle pulled up in front of their home on Lebow Street and someone stood up inside the car and started shooting.
The vehicle then fled the neighborhood.
Through the investigation, Fort Worth detectives obtained video surveillance showing a black Dodge Charger pulling in front of the Lebow home and a person standing up through the sunroof, firing several shots at the residence.
A witness at the home recognized the Charger and the person in the car as Mario Gonzalez.
A few days after Halloween, Gonzalez was interviewed by detectives, but he denied being involved in the shooting or owning or driving a Charger.
Witnesses later told detectives that Gonzalez described shooting a “mom” and “dad,” and killing the “uncle,” but he had missed the intended target, according to the warrant.
He said he would go back once it all calmed down, the warrant stated.
Witnesses also said that Gonzalez mentioned he had been with two guys from Louisiana, one named “shooter.”
Gonzalez gave “shooter” two pounds of marijuana before he left Fort Worth. Witnesses said “shooter” was the one who came out of the sunroof and started shooting.
Detectives believe “shooter” was Jakari Brown.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 6:26 AM.
