BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – In a significant development, San Antonio police arrested a second suspect linked to a tragic drive-by shooting that occurred nearly four years ago during a family barbecue on the Southwest Side. Darius Patric Torres, now 26 years old, was taken into custody recently and is facing serious charges, including capital murder of multiple people.
The incident took place on June 18, 2022, when officers responded to a shooting call around 10:15 p.m. at a residence on Patron Drive. Witnesses reported that a dark-colored SUV approached and opened fire on the gathering, unleashing between 20 and 30 shots before speeding away.
In total, seven individuals were injured in the shooting. Tragically, two men, identified as Juan Gomez, 46, and Alejandro Gomez-Soliz, 45, lost their lives, while five others required medical attention at a local hospital. Torres, who was just 22 at the time of the shooting, currently has a bond set at $750,000 and remains in custody at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
Another Shooting Moments Later
Interestingly, Torres’ arrest affidavit reveals that just six minutes after the shooting on Patron Drive, police received a call about another shooting in progress at a nearby convenience store. This store, located about 1.3 miles from the barbecue site, became the scene of another violent incident.
Surveillance footage from the convenience store captured a dark-colored vehicle pulling in and firing multiple rounds at a specific target. Fortunately, no one was injured during this second shooting, although the gunfire damaged several nearby vehicles and buildings.
Following the shooting, the driver of the targeted vehicle went inside the store and claimed that a person named “Nate” was responsible for the attack. Investigators later linked the same dark-colored Dodge Durango to both shooting incidents based on video evidence and shell casings found at the scenes.
A Potential Connection to a Third Shooting
Further investigations indicated a potential connection to a third shooting that occurred just days before the drive-by incidents. On June 19, 2022, police spoke with a victim who had experienced a drive-by shooting four days earlier. This victim provided video evidence and mentioned a male suspect named “Christian” who was linked to both the earlier incident and the two subsequent shootings.
On the same day, police observed a Dodge Durango involved in a traffic violation. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers found Torres along with two other individuals, Nathan Martinez and Christian Jimenez. During the stop, several firearms and narcotics were visible inside the vehicle, leading to their initial arrest on drug and weapons charges.
Further searches revealed that the shell casings found inside the Dodge Durango matched those recovered from the Patron Drive shooting, strengthening the case against Torres. Evidence indicated that Torres possessed one of the firearms used in the earlier shooting.
Martinez’s Capital Murder Arrest
Torres is not the only suspect facing serious charges tied to the Patron Drive shooting. Nathan Martinez, who was 18 at the time of the incident, was also arrested in November 2023, facing capital murder charges similar to those brought against Torres. Martinez’s arrest followed links to two other shooting investigations that occurred later.
Currently, Martinez is being held without bond and is scheduled for trial on May 4, 2024, under the watch of Judge Stephanie Boyd in Bexar County’s 187th Criminal District Court. As for Torres, his next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
