Rudy Navarro

A man is shot in the parking lot of a Handy Andy\n
On the evening of September 25, 1986, Rudy Navarro, a 33-year-old man, was simply walking home in San Antonio, Texas. He had spent time at the El Pacifico Bar, located at the intersection of South Presa and Pereida streets, and was enjoying the company of his wife, his brother, and a friend as they made their way home. The night was winding down, and they were just a block away from the bar, anticipating the end of their journey in the familiar surroundings of their neighborhood. What should have been an uneventful walk turned in an instant into a moment of shocking, senseless violence that would leave a family shattered and a community with questions that have lingered for decades.

As the group walked, a distinctive car drove by: a red, two-door Chevrolet Monte Carlo with a mismatched green passenger-side door. Inside were two men, described as Latino and in their mid-20s. An exchange of words occurred between the men in the car and Rudy’s group. The nature of the brief dispute is lost to time, but it was enough to escalate the situation fatally. The Monte Carlo did not just continue on its way; instead, it left, made a U-turn, and deliberately came back toward Rudy and his loved ones. As the car pulled up, the passenger produced a shotgun and fired directly at the small group of people on the sidewalk.

The blast from the shotgun tore through the night. Both Rudy and his friend were hit by the gunfire. The suspects’ car sped away, leaving chaos and tragedy in its wake. Emergency services were called to the scene, and police responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of a Handy Andy grocery store, located at 923 S. Presa. There, they found Rudy and his friend suffering from grave shotgun wounds. Rudy was rushed by ambulance to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) for emergency treatment, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead. His friend, though seriously injured, ultimately survived the unprovoked attack.

The San Antonio Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives canvassed the area and interviewed witnesses, including Rudy’s horrified wife and brother. They were able to get a description of the assailants and their unusual vehicle. The shooter was described as having curly black hair. With these details, investigators began the difficult work of tracking down the two men responsible for the murder. In the years that followed, the case, designated SAPD 86-458600, was diligently pursued. Police followed up on several leads and even developed persons of interest, but a crucial piece of evidence was always missing. There was never enough to conclusively identify the suspects and make an arrest.

Decades have now passed, and Rudy Navarro’s murder has become a cold case. The file remains open, now in the hands of the SAPD's Cold Case Squad. The pain for Rudy’s family has never faded. They have recently reached out to investigators, still searching for closure and some measure of justice for their loved one. In their communication with police, the family has acknowledged the painful reality that, after so much time, the people responsible for Rudy's death might not even be alive anymore. Still, the hope for answers persists, not just for the family, but for the investigators who believe that someone, somewhere, knows what happened that night.

As of January 2017, the investigation into Rudy Navarro's homicide is ongoing. The San Antonio Police Department continues to ask for the public’s help, believing that a long-held secret or a newly remembered detail could be the key to finally solving this case. Anyone who might have information about the two men in the red and green Monte Carlo, or any other detail related to the shooting on South Presa Street on September 25, 1986, is urged to contact the SAPD Cold Case Squad at 210-207-7635.