On October 14, 2024, at approximately 7 a.m., officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to a welfare check in the 3600 block of North Sharon Amity Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered 25-year-old Jose Antonio Mejia-Gaona behind a Captain D's restaurant, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Following an intensive investigation, CMPD detectives identified 41-year-old Julio Cesar Chacon Venegas as a suspect in Mejia-Gaona's murder. On October 19, 2024, Venegas was located and arrested near San Antonio, Texas, through a collaborative effort involving the Texas Department of Public Safety—Texas Rangers, Bexar County Sheriff's Office, and Elmendorf Police Department. CMPD homicide detectives traveled to Texas to interview Venegas, who has been charged with murder and is awaiting extradition to Mecklenburg County.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. CMPD encourages anyone with additional information to contact their Homicide Unit directly at 704-432-TIPS. Anonymous tips can also be provided through Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or via their website.
