A former sports anchor for Univision, Johnathan Solarte, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting a male relative during an argument in Corpus Christi, Texas. Solarte, 37, who previously served as Univision’s lead sports anchor, flagged down responding officers and admitted to being the shooter. The victim, 35-year-old Ricardo Escobar Cardona, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest and later died at the hospital. Solarte claimed self-defense, stating that Cardona had barged into his home and threatened him. This incident marks Solarte’s second encounter with the law, following a previous arrest in 2017.
Johnathan Solarte, a former sports anchor for Univision, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting a male relative during an argument in Corpus Christi, Texas. Solarte, 37, who previously served as Univision’s lead sports anchor, flagged down responding officers and admitted to being the shooter. The victim, 35-year-old Ricardo Escobar Cardona, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest and later died at the hospital.
Solarte claimed self-defense, stating that Cardona had barged into his home and threatened him. This incident marks Solarte’s second encounter with the law, following a previous arrest in 2017.
According to the official police report, Solarte called out to the responding officers upon their arrival, instructing them to go inside and help someone. When asked about the shooter, Solarte confessed to being the one responsible. Inside the house, authorities discovered a woman crying over Cardona, who had sustained a gunshot wound to his chest. He was immediately transported to Bay Area Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Solarte was taken into custody at the scene and later released on a $300,000 bond from Nueces County Jail. In his statement to the police, Solarte claimed that he was trying to defend himself during a struggle with Cardona when the shooting occurred. He alleged that Cardona had forcefully entered his home and began threatening him.
Witnesses at the scene provided conflicting accounts, with one stating that Cardona was initially allowed into the residence and everything seemed fine. Another witness claimed that the two men were engaged in an argument before the altercation turned violent.
This recent incident is not Solarte’s first brush with the law. In 2017, he was arrested and charged with evading arrest after refusing to pull over for a police officer. However, the charges were ultimately dropped by the district attorney. Solarte’s employment status following this incident remains unclear.