Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, was named by San Antonio police as one of the suspects in the April 16, 2025 killing of 14-year-old Simon Cuevas near Brewer Academy. In mid-August, investigators said an arrest warrant for capital murder had been issued for Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, while officers had already arrested another suspect, 18-year-old Fernando Flores; a third suspect was identified only as a juvenile.
As the search widened beyond San Antonio, police attention turned to Laredo, where leads indicated that Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, was hiding.
Before dawn on Friday, August 22, 2025, Laredo police were dispatched to a home on Palmito Drive for an attempted-suicide call. Officers found Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was stabilized and airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio under critical care.
Despite intensive treatment, authorities reported that Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, died from his injuries the following Monday, August 25, 2025. Local coverage cited the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s confirmation of death that afternoon, noting that he had been on the run when he shot himself as police closed in. A memorial listing later recorded him as “lost on August 22, 2025 in Laredo, Texas,” reflecting the date of the shooting that led to his death.
With respect to arrests and remaining suspects: before the events in Laredo, police had arrested Fernando Flores, 18, in connection with the Cuevas killing, while continuing to seek a third suspect who is a minor. After the death of Caesar Tijerina, 20, male, authorities reiterated that the investigation into the other suspect or suspects would continue; there were no arrests related to his death itself, which police described as self-inflicted.
