SAN ANGELO, Texas — One of two suspects in the Aug. 7 murder of 19-year-old Jacob Hernandez was arrested Wednesday afternoon, according to the Tom Green County Jail roster.
Kristopher Lozano, 18, was booked for murder at 2:21 p.m., records show.
According to Tom Green County court documents, Lozano and 18-year-old Nicholas Martinez are co-defendants in the homicide investigation.
Hernandez was found dead on the northeast side of San Angelo early Monday, Aug. 7.
San Angelo Police Department officers responding to the 600 block of East 34th Street for a shooting victim found Hernandez unconscious in the roadway with multiple apparent gunshot wounds. The San Angelo Fire Department arrived on scene and determined Hernandez was dead. SAPD’s Criminal Investigations and Crime Scene divisions and its drone team responded to the scene, as well.
After a preliminary investigation, Hernandez was identified as the victim and the case was investigated as a homicide.
Martinez was arrested and booked into the TGC Jail Aug. 25.
A complaint filed with Tom Green County Sept. 22, 2023, states Lozano intentionally and knowingly cause the death of Hernandez by shooting him with a pistol on Aug. 7, 2023.
The document states at approximately 5:41 a.m. Aug. 7, SAPD officers responding to the call found Hernandez and five spent .45 caliber cartridge cases in the street near him.
Det. Noel Anderson was able to get video and audio recordings from the location that were taken at the time Hernandez was shot. Three audible shots were fired shortly before 4 a.m. that day. Two people were seen running from the scene on East 34th Street.
Anderson was able to get text messages containing a conversation saying "Kris" (Lozano) and Jacob (Hernandez) were "beefing" and the sender had heard gunshots. There were also text messages from a witness from Hernandez about Lozano. The witness had also spoken to Lozano by phone earlier in the day.
A tablet seized from Hernandez's home with digital evidence of his messages before his death.
Instagram messages were found with a message to the victim at 3:36 a.m. Aug. 7 asking, "we finna fade?" The document states the term "fade" references a possible physical fight or otherwise implying a conflict.
A handgun "found under suspicious circumstances" was called in later that evening. Officers confirmed it was a Glock 36 .45 caliber.
Martinez's mother confirmed the gun was his and told police Lozano has come to their house early that morning and that she had heard what she believed to be Martinez sneaking back into the house through his window later.
On Aug. 8, an electronic device and a shirt with what looked like blood stains on it were seized from Martinez's home, along with shorts, and a pair of shoes with possible blood stains. A relative of Martinez was able to confirm to police that he saw Nicholas Martinez wearing those clothes the day before the shooting.
More witnesses told investigators about a text and verbal fight between Lozano and Hernandez through another person's Instagram account. The document states "at one point the victim wanted to meet up with Kris to fight." The witness' phone showed missed calls from Lozano at 1:27 a.m., 2:43 a.m. and 3:38 a.m. The shooting happened at 3:46 a.m.
Lozano and Hernandez were shown to have communicated within minutes of the shooting and that at least two subjects were involved in the murder, based on video footage.
A previously unknown witness walked into the SAPD station on Aug. 25, to make an unsolicited statement about the murder. They were found to be credible by providing information about forensic evidence, the document states.
That witness was able to lead police to Martinez's arrest and they also knew Lozano had recruited Martinez to go with him to confront Hernandez because Hernandez had access to a gun.
The complaint said "Kristopher Lozano helped facilitate this homicide by engaging in the digital conversation with the victim about fighting the victim, and bringing the co-defendant to the altercation with a handgun."
Both Lozano and Martinez are being held in the TCG Jail with bonds set at $500,000.
