Three Men Charged with Capital Murder in Motel Shooting

GARLAND, Texas – Three men have been arrested and charged with capital murder following a shooting that occurred at a Garland motel in June. The victim, identified as 48-year-old Santiago Lopez Morales from Las Vegas, Nevada, was shot and later died from his injuries.

The Garland Police Department reported that officers responded to the Motel 6 parking lot in the 12700 block of LBJ Freeway just after 5 a.m. on June 20 after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found Morales suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to police, two of the suspects had committed a robbery at a different motel hours prior to the shooting. Arrest records indicate that the suspects, Jesus De Nazareth Bellorin-Guzman, 23, Jose Luis Trivino-Cruz, 35, and Yosguar Aponte Jimenez, 20, are being held without bond on an immigration hold.

A witness report detailed that four individuals had arrived at the motel with Morales in the same vehicle. One of the witnesses, who had been robbed earlier, informed Morales about the incident, leading him to contact the suspects under the guise of posing as a prostitute.

Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the motel, documenting the events leading up to the shooting. The footage revealed a timeline of vehicles arriving and actions taken by the suspects, displaying a complex scenario involving robbery, confrontation, and the eventual shooting.

At 5:13 a.m., Morales confronted one of the suspects while armed. Witnesses reported that a struggle ensued, resulting in a gunshot that left Morales critically injured. As the suspects fled the scene, Morales was left bleeding on the ground.

Detectives linked the shooting to an aggravated robbery that had occurred a few hours earlier at the Deluxe Inn on Leon Road, where two Hispanic males had reportedly forced their way into a victim’s room. The victim identified the suspects in the motel shooting as the same individuals involved in her robbery.

Jimenez admitted to police that the trio had carried out over 25 robberies with the intent to rob sex workers as they were deemed less likely to report incidents to law enforcement. Each of the suspects faces serious charges: Jimenez, capital murder; Bellorin-Guzman, capital murder and aggravated robbery; and Trivino-Cruz, capital murder, aggravated robbery, and indecent assault.

Jimenez’s bond has been set at $1,500,000, while Bellorin-Guzman’s bond is $2,250,000, and Trivino-Cruz’s bond totals $3,255,000. All three remain in the Dallas County Jail as the investigation continues. Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the Garland Police Department at 972-485-4840.