On October 31, 2016, Andrew Michael Moreno, an 18-year-old male of Hispanic ethnicity from Laredo, Texas, was tragically killed along with his girlfriend, Alexus Nicole Zepeda, 17, also of Hispanic ethnicity. The couple was found by neighbors near the intersection of Estrella Drive and Arco Iris Road in the Los Altos Subdivision, both having sustained gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
The investigation into their deaths led to the arrest of Edwin Cortez-Mercado, 20, who was linked to
the murders. Cortez-Mercado was indicted on January 25, 2017, and later pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. As part of a plea agreement, a third charge of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence was dropped. On January 30, 2018, Judge Jose Lopez sentenced Cortez-Mercado to 60 years in prison.
During the sentencing hearing, both families of the victims gave impact statements, expressing the profound pain and loss they experienced. Moreno's brother told Cortez-Mercado that he had not only destroyed their family but also his own. Cortez-Mercado expressed regret for his actions, acknowledging that there were no words to bring the victims back and that he had chosen the wrong path.
The case brought a sense of justice to the families of the victims, although it could never fully compensate for their loss. The community and authorities hoped that this outcome would serve as a deterrent to such violent acts in the future.
