Alonso Lamas Chavez, a 35-year-old Hispanic male, tragically lost his life on December 28, 2022, in El Paso, Texas. The incident occurred outside the 11:11 Bar located at 1441 N. Zaragoza Road. Chavez had been socializing with friends at the bar and was shot by an individual with a rifle as he left the establishment. The shooter emerged from a vehicle and fired at Chavez, who was subsequently taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The vehicle involved in the shooting fled the scene, prompting an investigation by the Crimes Against Person detectives.
The investigation into Chavez's death revealed connections to a criminal organization involved in human smuggling. Brandon Alexis Garcia, a 20-year-old male, was charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting. Court documents indicated that Garcia was not the shooter but was involved in the criminal organization and was ordered to pick up the alleged shooters by someone in Juarez. Garcia was booked into El Paso County Jail on a $150,000 bond in April 2024. The alleged shooters were not identified by name in the court documents.
Further developments in the case led to the arrest of Gael Hernandez Ruiz, a 19-year-old male, who was also charged with murder in connection to Chavez's death. Hernandez Ruiz and three other men were suspected of driving a white PT Cruiser to the bar with the intent to kill Chavez on the orders of a man from Juarez. Hernandez Ruiz was allegedly driving the car with three other individuals inside when they shot Chavez. After the shooting, Hernandez Ruiz abandoned the PT Cruiser in a nearby parking lot and was picked up by Garcia, who was driving a white Nissan Armada. Hernandez Ruiz was later arrested by U.S. Border Patrol for allegedly smuggling six undocumented immigrants and was held at the Luna County Detention Center.
The investigation into the remaining individuals involved in Chavez's death is ongoing. Hernandez Ruiz was booked on a $300,000 bond, while Garcia posted a $60,000 bond and was released in June 2024. Police have yet to release mugshots for Hernandez Ruiz or Garcia, citing the ongoing investigation. The case highlights the involvement of criminal organizations in violent crimes and the complexities of investigating such incidents.
