21 Year Old Indicted for Shooting Victim During 'Drug Deal Gone Wrong'

 

SAN ANGELO, TX – On the afternoon of March 9, 2020 officers with the San Angelo Police Department were dispatched to a residence off of Arden Road following the report of a gunshot victim. 

When officers arrived on scene they spoke with a male subject who stated he was shot by the Defendant while the two were outside during a conversation. 

As stated by a responding officer, possible blood was located in the parking leading from the victim's vehicle up to their apartment. 

During a follow up interview the victim positively identified the suspect as 21 year old Michael Gabriel Sanchez Jr from a photograph line-up.

According to the victim, the two planned to meet each other at the victims apartment and had been talking with each other via Snapchat to arrange a "meeting".

Court documents of the Snapchat conversation show the Defendant asking the victim, "You coming down or I come up?' and "Bet" at 1:53 a.m.

Dispatch records indicate the gunshots were called in at 2:01 a.m. 

Indictment reports specify the Defendant initially planned to purchase marijuana from the victim, and as the victim was weighing out the product, the Defendant grabbed the marijuana and took off on foot. 

Whenever the victim attempted to chase down the defendant, the defendant turned around and fired six (6) shots toward him, striking him in the leg. 

On March 13, Sanchez was arrested by the SAPD and was booked into the Tom Green County Jail where he has been held on a $35,000.00 bond. 

As of May 19, 2020, Michael Gabriel Sanchez Jr was indicted on two charges including one count of Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon and one count of Theft of a Firearm

Investigators later determined the firearm that was used during the assault had been stolen the day before by the defendant.

 

Penalties Associated with Michael Sanchez Jr arrest are as followed: 

  • Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon : First Degree Felony which carries a penalty of 2 to 20 years incarceration in a Texas prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
  • Theft of a Firearm :  State Jail Felony which carries a penalty of between six months and two years in state jail, a $10,000 fine, possible probation, and the possibility for the loss of rights to legally own or carry a firearm.

Normally, a theft crime in the state of Texas is charged based on the value of the property stolen at any given time. However, certain types of thefts are automatically escalated to higher levels if the property stolen is of a certain nature. 

However, if a firearm is stolen and used as a deadly weapon during the theft (whether or not it was actually fired does not matter), charges are automatically upgraded to third-degree felonies. This means sentences will range between two and ten years in prison including fines of up to $10,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily

The LIVE! Daily is the "newspaper to your email" for San Angelo. Each content-packed edition has weather, the popular Top of the Email opinion and rumor mill column, news around the state of Texas, news around west Texas, the latest news stories from San Angelo LIVE!, events, and the most recent obituaries. The bottom of the email contains the most recent rants and comments. The LIVE! daily is emailed 5 days per week. On Sundays, subscribers receive the West Texas Real Estate LIVE! email.

Required

Most Recent Videos

Post a comment to this article here:

X Close