Ricardo De La Fuente Jr., a 19-year-old Hispanic man known to his loved ones as "Jay," was fatally shot on August 8, 2023, during what he believed was a car sale. De La Fuente and a relative had arranged through social media to sell a 2006 Dodge Charger in south Bexar County, near San Antonio, Texas. The meeting with the supposed buyers, however, was a setup for a violent robbery that ended his life. Born on May 5, 2004, Ricardo is survived by his mother, Vanessa Trevino, and his sister, Bernice Cancino.
The incident unfolded near Highway 281 and Hume Road after De La Fuente and his relative took two of the potential buyers on a test drive. When it was time to pay, one of the suspects, 15-year-old Anthony Watson, pulled out a pistol. A struggle ensued, and De La Fuente’s relative was shot in the arm and back but survived. According to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, De La Fuente acted in self-defense, shooting and killing one of the assailants, Dontrae Suarez.
Watson then shot and killed De La Fuente. A second suspect, Daquan Ruffin, who had waited in a separate car, robbed De La Fuente's wounded relative of his wallet at gunpoint before the group fled.
Investigators quickly identified the suspects, leading to the arrests of Watson and 18-year-old Daquan Ruffin on capital murder charges. Watson, despite his age at the time of the crime, was certified by a juvenile court judge to stand trial as an adult.
The case reached its legal conclusion over the next two and a half years. In December 2025, Anthony Watson, identified as the shooter, accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to murder. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing Ricardo De La Fuente.
Two months later, in February 2026, Daquan Ruffin also accepted a plea agreement. In exchange for his cooperation in the prosecution, his murder charge was dismissed, and he pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery. Ruffin was sentenced to 20 years in prison. During the sentencing hearing, Ricardo’s mother, Vanessa Trevino, addressed him directly, saying, “Y’all came and took his life over a car, but not only did you take his life, you took mine, too.” As of February 2026, the case is closed, with both perpetrators convicted and sentenced.
