On a Sunday evening in May, a dispute in a restaurant parking lot tragically escalated, ending the life of 29-year-old Bruno Lira San Agustin. The Hispanic male was fatally shot on May 14, 2023, outside the El Tecate restaurant on South Carlisle Street in South Bend, Indiana. Following the incident, he was rushed to Memorial Hospital of South Bend, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began with an altercation between San Agustin and two other men,
20-year-old Eduardo Alvarado and 20-year-old Ernesto Arellano, all from Elkhart. The disagreement reportedly stemmed from a necklace that Arellano claimed San Agustin had stolen from him a week prior. Surveillance footage from the area captured the confrontation, showing Arellano pinning San Agustin against a vehicle while Alvarado struck him in the head with a gun. The situation escalated further when Alvarado fired the weapon at close range, striking San Agustin.
Following the shooting, Alvarado and Arellano fled the scene in a white Dodge Charger. In an attempt to evade capture, they stopped at a gas station between South Bend and Chicago, where Arellano admitted to helping Alvarado remove the hubcaps from the car to alter its appearance. However, their efforts to escape justice were short-lived.
Witnesses and the surveillance video helped police identify the two suspects. Upon their arrest, both men reportedly admitted their involvement in the attack. Alvarado confessed to being the one who shot San Agustin. Consequently, Eduardo Alvarado was charged with murder and a firearm enhancement. Ernesto Arellano faced charges of assisting a criminal and battery resulting in bodily injury. Both men were scheduled for their arraignment on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.
