In the early hours of March 18, 2023, Beaumont Police responded to reports of trespassing at The Crossing apartments on Phelan Boulevard, where individuals were parking and walking to the neighboring DMoney Daiquiris Lounge. While officers were on the scene, gunfire erupted in the lounge's parking lot. A gray GMC Sierra pickup truck, struck by 27 rounds, was later found in a nearby Burger King parking lot.
The driver sustained a non-life-threatening leg injury, while the passenger, 30-year-old Beaumont resident Geraldo Escamilla, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting, police detained a black Mercedes party van carrying 14 occupants. A 16-year-old male fled but was apprehended; he was found in possession of three firearms, with an additional five guns recovered from the van. The juvenile was charged with evading arrest, prohibited weapons, and unlawfully carrying a weapon, and was transported to the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Center.
Through witness interviews, detectives identified two suspects: 20-year-old Armani Rashad Wallace and 18-year-old Jaren Battles, both from Orange, Texas. Both men were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault, with bonds set at $950,000 and $500,000 respectively. In April 2023, a Jefferson County Grand Jury indicted Wallace and Battles for first-degree murder in connection with Escamilla's death.
In the aftermath, Escamilla's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against DMoney Daiquiris Lounge, Parigi Property Management, and the accused shooters. The suit alleges that inadequate security measures contributed to the foreseeable risk that led to Escamilla's death. The family seeks damages exceeding $1 million for mental anguish, loss of companionship, and other related losses.
Escamilla, a father of two young daughters, was remembered by family and friends as a loving and devoted parent. His funeral service was held on March 25, 2023, at Calvary Mortuary Chapel in Beaumont, followed by interment at Live Oak Memorial Park.
