Three young men have been charged with the murder of a man who was gunned down while walking along a sidewalk in June 2022. Two of the accused are allegedly linked to a separate killing of a woman that happened about six weeks later.
Jordan Montalvo, 18, Carlos Romero-Munoz, 18, and Danilo Bonilla, 22, are charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of Patrik Saul Maldonado in June 2022.
On June 25, 2022, Maldonado was walking on the sidewalk in the 7100 block of Woodridge in southeast Houston when he was targeted. Houston police released a home surveillance video appealing to the public for tips. The video shows Maldonado being chased before he was gunned down.
Maldonado reportedly ran toward a house to call for help but collapsed. He was found lying in the front yard and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Further investigation identified Romero-Munoz, Montalvo, and Bonilla as suspects in this case and Montalvo as the suspected shooter.
Maldonado was 58 years old and a widower. His daughter told ABC13 he had three children and was in Houston to work. Sources said Romero-Munoz and Montalvo claim to be part of the brutal MS-13 gang.
Montalvo and Romero-Munoz are also charged with capital murder in the death of Sandra Elizabeth Montes-Deescamilla in August 2022.
Authorities said Montes-DeEscamilla was kidnapped at her apartment complex on Aug.10, 2022, before she was shot to death in the trunk of her car.
According to court records, Montes-DeEscamilla, 45, was seen on surveillance video driving into the Falls of West Oak Apartments at about 2 a.m. Three men in masks and gloves were chasing her car as she turned into her unit.
The suspects allegedly tried to force her to get money out of the bank. When she didn’t comply, the teens made her drive to another complex on Rio Bonito, where they put her in the trunk of her Volkswagen and shot her, police said.
Eight days after the murder, detectives were able to match a palm print left on Montes’ car to Romero-Munoz, according to court records.
In August 2022, CPS confirmed to ABC13 that Romero-Munoz, 17 at the time, was in their system when Montes-DeEscamilla was killed. A CPS spokesperson said he was in the kinship care program.
Montalvo, Romero-Munoz, and Bonilla are expected to appear in court within the next week.
Source: abc13
