On July 20, 2024, at approximately 3:54 a.m., 24-year-old Omar Infante Jr. was fatally shot at the Gonzalez Place Apartments, located at 4101 Rich Beem Boulevard in far East El Paso, Texas. The incident began during a small gathering at an apartment within the complex, where an argument erupted between Infante and 19-year-old Noah Daniel Lomeli over their opposing gang affiliations.
Witnesses reported that Lomeli identified himself as a member of the "6th Street" gang, known to El Paso police as a street gang.
The confrontation escalated when both Infante and Lomeli were asked to leave the apartment. They proceeded to the parking lot, agreeing to settle their dispute with a physical fight. During the altercation, another individual, 19-year-old Damian Alexander De La Riva, who had accompanied Lomeli, descended from an upper-level stairwell and brandished a handgun, pointing it at Infante. In response, Infante released his hold on Lomeli and began to back away with his hands raised. At this point, Lomeli also drew a firearm, and one of the two men shot Infante, causing him to collapse to the ground.
As Infante lay motionless, both Lomeli and De La Riva proceeded to brutally assault him by beating, stomping, and pistol-whipping him multiple times. During the assault, an additional gunshot was fired. The assailants then appeared to remove an item, possibly a necklace, from Infante's torso. Before fleeing the scene in a red Nissan Altima, Lomeli allegedly took a photograph of Infante's body with his cellphone.
The entire incident was captured on surveillance cameras and corroborated by witness cellphone videos. Following an investigation by the El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Unit, both Lomeli and De La Riva were identified as suspects. Warrants were issued, and the two men were arrested and charged with murder. They were subsequently booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility, each held on a $1 million bond.
This tragic event underscores the lethal consequences of gang-related disputes and has prompted law enforcement to continue their efforts in addressing gang violence within the community. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
