BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man arrested in connection with a fatal road rage shooting last week had his charge upgraded to murder, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Sean Anthony Samaniego, 34, was rearrested on Tuesday, BCSO said in a Facebook post.
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The shooting happened on March 7 at a Valero gas station near East Loop 1604 South and Highway 181 South in southeast Bexar County.
BCSO said the murder warrant was filed after Samaniego’s initial arrest on March 8, for tampering with physical evidence.
However, according to the murder warrant affidavit obtained Thursday by KSAT, a Bexar County deputy discovered that Samaniego’s friend, who the suspect referred to as “Money,” was not present at the time of the fatal shooting.
Tampering with physical evidence affidavit
According to an arrest warrant affidavit on the tampering charge, Samaniego told deputies that a white Cadillac sedan had been “brake-checking him” as he traveled from Floresville to San Antonio.
Surveillance footage at the gas station showed the white sedan, driven by 39-year-old Octavian Estrada, park next to Samaniego’s Chevrolet truck, which was hauling a trailer.
The affidavit stated Estrada approached Samaniego’s truck, and a person inside the truck shot at Estrada.
Estrada was shot once in the chest and died at the scene. Samaniego drove off, BCSO said.
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Samaniego later told investigators that his friend, who he referred to as “Money,” was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, and rolled down the front passenger door window and opened fire, according to the affidavit.
Samaniego also told investigators he could hear Estrada yelling but couldn’t understand him.
“Sean (Samaniego) said, ‘Money,’ retrieved a revolver from his waistband, and shot out the window. Sean said, ‘Money,’ shot a second time, striking (sic) Octavian (Estrada),” the affidavit stated.
Upgraded murder charge affidavit
According to the new affidavit obtained Thursday, a Bexar County deputy said that they did not witness a second person with Samaniego at the scene of the alleged crime.
Authorities reviewed the Valero gas station’s surveillance footage again and determined that there was no front passenger in Samaniego’s vehicle.
According to the new affidavit, the video appeared to show Samaniego raising his right hand with a “foreign object,” pointed it at Estrada and then shot at him.
The tampering with evidence affidavit stated that Samaniego claimed that he pushed “Money” before the first gunshot was fired.
However, in the murder affidavit, investigators who viewed the surveillance footage did not show any kind of struggle inside the suspect’s vehicle.
After Samaniego told deputies he allegedly picked up “Money” at a Floresville restaurant before the shooting, deputies viewed additional surveillance footage and determined the suspect did not pick up anyone at that Floresville restaurant, located approximately 12 miles from the gas station.
Samaniego said he then removed the trailer from his truck “because he knew law enforcement would be looking for him,” the new affidavit stated.
The trailer was later found, and Samaniego confirmed to the sheriff’s office that it was his.
The affidavit stated Samaniego refused to cooperate with investigators.
Deputies rearrested Samaniego at a relative’s home without incident.
Samaniego is in the Bexar County jail without bond on charges of murder and violation of parole with a bond totaling $250,000, records show.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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