On June 7, 2010, Mario A. Rodriguez Jr., a 33-year-old Hispanic male from San Antonio, Texas, was fatally shot during a drug transaction. Rodriguez, who owned Orange Brand Construction Co. and had served in the Marine Corps, was known for his outgoing personality and willingness to help others. He was a father to three children: Rey, 13; Mark, 9; and Madison, 6.
On the evening of his death, Rodriguez had arranged to sell Ecstasy pills in the back parking lot of the Country Gold bar on the Southwest Side of San Antonio. His girlfriend, 19-year-old Ammy Norwood, accompanied him with plans to go to the movies after the transaction.
During the exchange, as Rodriguez and the buyer stood at the trunk of his vehicle, Norwood heard a gunshot. She then saw the assailant approach her side of the car and attempt to shoot her through the driver's side window. The gun misfired, and after a second failed attempt, the shooter fled the scene. Rodriguez was found dead at the scene with a gunshot wound behind his ear.
Following the incident, Norwood identified 19-year-old Edward Anthony Deleon as the shooter in a photo lineup. Deleon was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Mario A. Rodriguez Jr. and the attempted murder of Ammy Norwood. In June 2011, Deleon pleaded no contest to both charges and was sentenced to 33 years in prison. This conviction brought some measure of justice for the family and friends of Rodriguez, who continue to mourn the loss of the 33-year-old Hispanic father and veteran.
