Ernesto Gonzalez Jr., a 34-year-old Hispanic man who owned Strong Arm Moving Company and enjoyed classic cars, was found unresponsive in an alley on Brady Avenue in Brownwood, Texas, after a 911 call reporting gunfire. He died on November 2, 2014; an autopsy was performed at the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office and detectives determined he had been shot. Witnesses and persons of interest were interviewed and police described the shooting as an isolated incident that did not pose a continuing threat to the public.

A neighbor, Michael John Zarate, also 34, was arrested and charged with murder. At trial Zarate’s ex-girlfriend testified she saw him shoot Ernesto, jailhouse calls were played in which Zarate did not deny killing Ernesto when questioned by his mother, and Texas Ranger Jason Shea testified the evidence pointed to Zarate as the perpetrator. A Brown County jury found Zarate guilty of murder and tampering with evidence and sentenced him to life with the possibility of parole after serving a third of the term. Ernesto’s eldest daughter, Vanessa, told the court she forgave Zarate.