SAN ANTONIO -- A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a deadly carjacking.
The teen has been charged with capital murder for the shooting death of 18-year-old Christopher Hinojos. Hinojost was killed Tuesday night outside a home on Allendale Oak, near UTSA.
During a news conference Friday afternoon, San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said the 16-year-old was one of six teens arrested Thursday after a "crime spree" on Bandera Road. McManus said the group was involved in several robberies and led police on a short chase before they abandoned their vehicle and tried to get away on foot. All six were captured after police used canines and a helicopter to help track them down.
One of the officers was assaulted by one of the suspects, who McManus said even tried to gouge out the officer's eyes. McManus said following the arrests, robbery and homicide detectives were able to determine the 16-year-old suspect who assaulted the officer was also the prime suspect in murder of Christopher Hinojos.
Detectives have now recovered what McManus said are key pieces of evidence, including Hinojos' vehicle and the gun police believe was used to kill him. McManus said investigators believe Hinojos and the teen knew each other and that the shooting was not a random act.
None of the suspects are connected to UTSA, but McManus said they do live in the area. McManus was asked if he thought the arrests would help get a handle on some of the problems that have been going on in the area.
"I do," McManus said. "You know, you don't wake up one morning and commit a murder. These individuals we believe are involved in not just robberies but burglaries as well. Vehicle burglaries that occur at night in the area and other activities. These are not, this is not the first go-around, we believe, for this group of individuals."
The 16-year-old was only one of the group charged in connection with Hinojos' murder. McManus said it will be up to the District Attorney to determine whether or not to charge the teen as an adult.
