A 20-year-old is being held on Texas murder charges after he allegedly shot another man during an argument over a drug deal. Authorities say the drama unfolded in late August outside of a Little Caesars Pizza shop in Wichita Falls. Two 22-year-old males were said to be quarreling over drugs. One man was shot and died less than 12 hours later. In Texas and many other jurisdictions, a significant number of homicides also involve allegations of drug crimes.
On Aug. 27 the police department responded to what was believed to be a car accident at about 6:45 p.m. They found a man inside the pizza shop, unconscious and bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound. They say the alleged gunman escaped in a dark blue colored sedan driven by an unknown woman. Authorities located the vehicle later, but the person that police believe to have been the gunman remained at large and was said to be armed and dangerous.
According to court records, the alleged shooter was detained and arrested in New Orleans on Tuesday, Nov. 21. There was no word on the whereabouts of the driver of the car. He appeared in court in New Orleans, and he is being held without bond pending an extradition hearing.
Drug crimes, particularly those that include accusations of murder, are prosecuted aggressively in Texas. Nevertheless, anyone so accused is fully entitled to the presumption of innocence at every stage of the criminal proceedings. A savvy defense attorney can assist defendants by evaluating the evidence and representing their interests. In some cases, this may involve contesting the charges at trial; in others, it may mean seeking to negotiate a plea agreement with prosecutors in exchange for favorable sentencing considerations.
Source: nola.com, “Texas murder suspect arrested in New Orleans”, Beau Evans, Nov. 22, 2017
