Antonio Sanchez, 44, male, Hispanic/Latino, was shot to death on the afternoon of August 11, 2025, on San Antonio’s West Side. Police patrolling nearby on an unrelated traffic stop heard a burst of gunfire around 2:30–2:40 p.m. and rushed to the 400 block of Southlawn Avenue near Ceralvo Street, where they found Antonio Sanchez lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He died at the scene.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds, and officers initially described the attack as a possible drive-by.
In the days that followed, detectives pieced together a broader plot. According to arrest affidavits, two of Antonio Sanchez’s friends were kidnapped at gunpoint in their home and beaten by three suspects who referred to one another as brothers. Using one victim’s phone, the men lured Antonio Sanchez to the address; one suspect—described as wearing red—then shot him in front of the captives while another acted as lookout. Investigators later recovered evidence, including vehicle data and social media posts, linking the group to the ambush.
Arrests quickly followed. On August 20, police arrested 20-year-old Rafael Ricardo Jesus Almendarez and charged him with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, alleging he helped orchestrate the ambush, acted as lookout, and fled in the getaway car. Weeks later, on September 12–13, authorities announced the arrest of 20-year-old Marcos Villegas on an aggravated kidnapping charge; investigators identified him as the man who had the firearm during the home invasion that preceded the shooting, though affidavits say he left before the killing itself.
A third suspect, 19-year-old Marco Vasquez—known by the nickname “Sleepy”—was named as the alleged gunman and remains wanted for capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. Police bulletins and affidavits note distinguishing details, including a neck tattoo that reads “hahaha,” and Crime Stoppers offered a reward for information leading to his arrest. As of the most recent updates, investigators continue to seek Vasquez while building the case against Almendarez and Villegas in the homicide of Antonio Sanchez, 44, male, Hispanic/Latino.
