Fort Worth men accused in death of robbery accomplice

Two men accused in a June store robbery in north Fort Worth in which another suspect was fatally shot by a clerk have been arrested in their accomplice’s death.

Mauro Villarreal Jr., 20, and Gonzalo Arias-Jimenez, 21, did not fire the shot that killed Christian Carvajal, 18, but they are accused of intentionally or knowingly engaging in a felony — aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon — that caused Carvajal’s death.

The men, both of Fort Worth, were arrested last week and charged Friday with engaging in organized criminal activity/murder. They are being held in the Tarrant County Jail, with bail set at $100,000.

Police are still searching for a third suspect, Diego Pena-Arias, 18.

Coincidentally, Carvajal was among victims of a robbery almost two years ago at a south Fort Worth McDonald’s that garnered national attention.

Carvajal, then two days shy of turning 17, was inside the McDonald’s at 4800 South Freeway on Sept. 24, 2013, when a man walked in, pointed a gun at customers and demanded their possessions.

The robber repeatedly pulled the trigger while aiming at victims, but the gun malfunctioned and would not fire. Twice, however, he was able to fire the weapon outside.

He was soon arrested by responding officers and was sentenced in March to 12 years in prison for aggravated robbery.

The store robbery

On the afternoon of June 17, police allege, Carvajal was brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun as he and another accomplice walked into the Lincoln Grocery at 1701 Lincoln Ave. and demanded money from the clerk.

According to arrest warrant affidavits, Carvajal and Villarreal had been discussing their plan to rob the store in messages exchanged on Facebook.

Villarreal “encourages the robbery and states he needs to buy another ride,” homicide Detective Jerry Cedillo wrote in the affidavit.

Carvajal mentioned in the conversation that he would get “Crazy” to help — the nickname for Pena-Arias. Carvajal and Pena-Arias are documented gang members, the affidavit says.

Villarreal served as a lookout, entering and scouting out the store minutes before the robbery, the affidavit says.

Investigators believe that Pena-Arias and Carvajal, concealing their faces with rags, then entered the store. Surveillance cameras captured one of the robbers grabbing the clerk’s wallet while the other went behind the counter looking for cash.

Clerk fires at robbers

The clerk grabbed his .38-caliber revolver and shot Pena-Arias in the left arm and Carvajal in the chest, the affidavit says.

Pena-Arias ran from the store and into an alley, where Arias-Jimenez, his cousin, was waiting in a black Chevrolet Avalanche, investigators say.

Arias-Jimenez admitted to investigators that he drove the getaway vehicle and provided the shotgun. He told detectives that the plan was for the men to split the proceeds four ways, the affidavit says.

Court records show that Pena-Arias had been sentenced in April to six months’ deferred-adjudication probation on a theft charge. He stopped showing up to meetings with his probation officer after the shooting, the affidavit says.

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Fort Worth men accused in death of robbery accomplice."