On February 29, 2024, at approximately 4:30 p.m., 27-year-old Cesar Garcia was fatally shot near the entrance of his workplace in the 6900 block of Northeast Loop 410 in San Antonio, Texas. Responding officers discovered Garcia's body on a stairwell, surrounded by multiple shell casings and small plastic baggies containing Glock switches—illegal devices that convert firearms into automatic weapons.
Surveillance footage revealed that Garcia had arranged to meet two individuals outside his workplace. As he approached the stairwell, one suspect, dressed in black, placed a firearm against Garcia's head. A struggle ensued, during which a second suspect, wearing a red hoodie and light-colored joggers, fired multiple shots at Garcia. The first suspect also discharged his weapon. After the shooting, both suspects fled to a black Hyundai Sonata, missing a front bumper, which served as their getaway vehicle.
Investigators accessed Garcia's phone and uncovered social media messages between him and one of the suspects, later identified as 21-year-old Kiavon Dotson. The messages indicated that Garcia had provided Dotson with the address of his workplace for a meeting. Dotson was arrested on March 2, 2024, and charged with capital murder. During questioning, he admitted that the intent was to rob Garcia of gun parts, but the situation escalated when Garcia resisted.
A second suspect, 20-year-old Ju Von Williams Phillips, was arrested on March 22, 2024, and also charged with capital murder. According to arrest affidavits, both Dotson and Phillips had planned to rob Garcia during the arranged meeting. When Garcia resisted, Phillips allegedly fired the initial shots, followed by Dotson. Both suspects are being held in the Bexar County Jail on $500,000 bonds.
Authorities believe a third individual acted as the getaway driver, remaining in the vehicle during the shooting. As of now, no information has been released regarding the identity or arrest of this third suspect. The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement urging anyone with information to come forward to assist in bringing all responsible parties to justice.
