On April 21, 2024, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Houston police responded to a shooting incident in the 11900 block of 7th Street in the Alief area. Upon arrival, officers discovered 52-year-old Rosenda Garcia unresponsive inside her vehicle, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics from the Houston Fire Department pronounced her deceased at the scene.
Witnesses reported that a male suspect approached Garcia's vehicle on foot, fired several shots into the car, and then fled the scene in a white Jeep Renegade SUV with black wheels, heading toward the 4200 block of Cook Road.
The investigation identified the suspect as 50-year-old Jose Santiago Villatoro, who had been in a volatile three-year relationship with Garcia. According to Garcia's son, Daniel Gonzalez, his mother had recently ended the relationship and asked Villatoro to move out of their shared residence. Gonzalez also mentioned that Villatoro had exhibited jealous and erratic behavior during their relationship.
Surveillance footage reviewed by Gonzalez reportedly shows Villatoro approaching Garcia's vehicle, engaging in a brief argument, retrieving a firearm from his car, and then shooting her multiple times through an open window. Following the shooting, license plate readers tracked Villatoro's vehicle to Wharton at 4:58 p.m. and later to the Laredo border crossing at 11:54 p.m. on the same day. Authorities believe he may have fled to Mexico.
On July 18, 2024, the Houston Police Department announced that Villatoro had been charged with murder in the 209th State District Court. However, he remains at large. Investigators have released his photograph and are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or to provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Garcia's family continues to seek justice and closure. They have been actively posting on social media, appealing for information regarding Villatoro's location. Gonzalez expressed frustration over the lack of leads, emphasizing that someone likely knows where Villatoro is but has not come forward. The family remains hopeful that authorities will apprehend Villatoro and hold him accountable for Garcia's tragic death.
