Police say man continued date after fatal shooting over $40

HOUSTON — A Texas man on a date who paid $40 to park, solely to study inside a Houston burger joint that he was scammed, allegedly went again and fatally shot the person posing as an attendant after which returned for dinner, in keeping with court docket data.

Erick Aguirre appeared in court docket Thursday on homicide fees within the April 11 demise of 46-year-old Elliot Nix. His bond was set at $200,000. His lawyer, Brent Mayr, declined to remark.

Aguirre, 29, allegedly advised his date “every part was superb” and that he simply scared the person after returning to the Rodeo Goat restaurant from the car parking zone. They then began strolling to a desk however left to eat someplace else after Aguirre regarded uncomfortable, in keeping with court docket data.

Aguirre’s date contacted police two days later after police had launched images of the couple, who had been recognized by tricks to Crime Stoppers.

“She needed to do the suitable factor. She needed to guarantee that she got here ahead and advised the police what she knew,” Rick DeToto, the lady’s lawyer advised KPRC.

Police say Aguirre, 29, and his date had parked their autos close to the downtown restaurant when Nix approached them, saying it will price $20 every to park their automobiles, in keeping with a possible trigger affidavit.

Aguirre paid the $40 however was later advised by a restaurant worker that Nix didn’t work for the car parking zone and had scammed them, police mentioned.

An worker at a close-by smoke store later advised police he noticed Aguirre run again to his automobile, seize a pistol and go after Nix. The worker mentioned each males went out of his view however he heard a gunshot earlier than 8 p.m., then noticed Aguirre “nonchalantly strolling again to his automobile with the gun in his hand” earlier than placing the gun again in his automobile. Aguirre then walked again to the restaurant and go inside along with his date, in keeping with the affidavit.

Nix was taken to a hospital, the place he later died.

Aguirre, who lives close to Corpus Christi, situated about 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Houston, was arrested earlier this week. He remained jailed Thursday.

Houston prison protection lawyer Grant Scheiner, who’s not affiliated with the case, mentioned that underneath state legal guidelines associated to safety of property, Aguirre’s lawyer will possible be capable to make an argument that the usage of lethal drive was justified.

However the circumstances associated to this case, together with retrieving a weapon when there was no instant hazard after which persevering with with one’s dinner after the alleged taking pictures, won’t assist Aguirre, Scheiner mentioned.

In 2021, Texas lawmakers accredited laws permitting folks to hold handguns with no license, and the background verify and coaching that had gone with it.

“The issue is that weapons are simply so extensively obtainable and there’s a number of misinterpretation on when you need to use lethal drive,” Scheiner mentioned. “You could have a number of weapons and never very a lot information.”

Nix’s deadly taking pictures comes after a number of high-profile incidents across the U.S. the place nonviolent conditions — going to a mistaken deal with, entering into the fallacious automobile or going right into a neighbor’s yard to retrieve a basketball — devolved into shootings.

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Observe Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70