William Valdez, a 69-year-old Hispanic man, was fatally shot on August 31, 2015, in his east-side residence in San Angelo, Texas. The incident occurred around 4:05 a.m. during a botched robbery involving four individuals. Valdez was shot under his left arm and spent about two weeks on life support before passing away on September 15, 2015, at Shannon Medical Center.
His daughter, Jody Valdez, and other family members were present in the intensive care unit, hoping for his recovery, but he never regained consciousness.
The suspects involved in the robbery and subsequent murder were Jonathan Jesse Marin, Eric John Martinez, Eliza Victoria Losoya, and Fernando Lavaris, Jr. Marin and Martinez both pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier. In November 2015, Lavaris was charged with capital murder, which is punishable by death or life in prison. On April 4, 2019, Lavaris pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree murder as part of a plea agreement with state prosecutors. He was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay $7,236.80 in restitution. Lavaris waived his right to appeal as part of the plea agreement.
The attempted robbery took place at a residence in the 500 block of Sellers Street. Valdez's son, Guillermo Valdez, told police that he heard his dog barking and someone banging on the sliding glass door at their home on the morning of the incident. Guillermo hid inside his room when the suspects broke in and soon after heard gunshots inside his father's bedroom. The suspects were later indicted by a grand jury on charges of capital murder by terror threat and other felonies.
During the court proceedings, Jody Valdez read a victim impact statement, expressing her grief and the profound loss of her father. She recounted being with her father every day for two weeks while he was in the hospital and being present when he passed away. The courtroom was filled with friends, family, and members of San Angelo's legal community, who offered their condolences and support to the Valdez family.
