Ernest Phillips

Ernest Phillips, a 49-year-old Black man known to some as Teddy, was remembered as a good family friend who was fun and always joking around. He worked as a chef and a laborer in San Antonio, Texas.

On the evening of April 16, 2024, Phillips was involved in an altercation with another man near the corner of Austin and Lamar Streets downtown. According to investigators, Phillips tried to run away, but the man chased him, pulled out a weapon, and fired multiple rounds. Police responded to the scene around 6:45 p.m. and found Phillips with several gunshot wounds to his chest. He was rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The shooter fled the scene on foot after the attack. Two witnesses gave chase but were unable to catch him. At the time, the suspect was described as wearing black clothing and possibly traveling with a dog.

For more than a month, the investigation continued until San Antonio police received what they determined to be credible information that led them to a suspect. A witness then contacted police, reporting that a man named Jose Alejo had confessed to the shooting. The witness told officers that Alejo claimed he acted in self-defense because Phillips was armed with a pipe. After reviewing the evidence, investigators determined they had probable cause to charge Alejo with murder.

On May 24, 2024, San Antonio police officers, with assistance from U.S. Marshals, located 36-year-old Jose Alejo at a gas station. He was taken into custody, initially on an unrelated warrant, before an additional warrant was obtained for the shooting. Alejo was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center and charged with the murder of Ernest Phillips. His combined bond was set at $132,000. As of May 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system.