On Sunday, December 7, 2025, authorities in Laredo, Texas, responded to a deadly shooting incident reported around 1 a.m. near the 300 block of North Meadow Avenue. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims, identified as 35-year-old Anthony Sarmiento, was found with fatal injuries and was subsequently pronounced dead.
The second victim, 41-year-old John Eric Sotelo, had sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
The Laredo Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, quickly identifying a person of interest. By the following day, Monday, December 8, 2025, investigators had obtained a murder warrant for the suspect. Later that same day, 24-year-old Robert Manuel Hinojosa surrendered himself at the Laredo Police Department headquarters. Hinojosa was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Sarmiento's death. Police also indicated that Hinojosa faced additional charges related to the shooting of Sotelo, though specific details regarding the motive or circumstances leading up to the violence were not immediately released as the investigation remained active.
Anthony Joseph Sarmiento was remembered by his community as a spirited and generous individual who had lived in Laredo since he was an infant. A 2008 graduate of United High School, he was known affectionately by nicknames such as "Swisha" and "Beaver." Friends and local law enforcement were familiar with his passion for cars, particularly his Corvette, which he was known to drive with a heavy foot. Beyond his bold exterior, those close to him described a man with a soft heart who was devoted to his wife of seventeen years and his extended family. In the wake of his passing, his family honored his legacy of giving by organizing donations of toys and clothing for a local children's home.
