The arrest ends a long search tied to a 2020 shooting that killed a teen and a 20-year-old during a suspected drug deal.
SAN ANTONIO, TX — A man wanted in a 2020 double killing on San Antonio’s Northeast Side was taken into custody after roughly two years on the run, authorities said Wednesday. Investigators said the fugitive, sought in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man, was arrested without incident and booked into the Bexar County jail on capital murder charges.
The capture closes a lengthy manhunt in a case that drew intense attention from local detectives and families of the victims. The shootings, which police said stemmed from a drug deal that turned into a robbery, alarmed residents already frustrated by gun violence near busy corridors on the Northeast Side. With the arrest, prosecutors can move forward on a case that has sat in courts while investigators tracked tips and coordinated with task force partners. The victims’ relatives have said they want a full accounting of what happened and who was responsible.
Deputies and police were called to a residential street just after the December 2020 gunfire, finding two people shot inside a vehicle. The victims were identified as 14-year-old Bobby Lee Carter Jr. and 20-year-old Robert Smith, according to charging records filed shortly after the attack. Witness statements and surveillance video outlined how two armed suspects approached the car, demanded property and opened fire. An affidavit describing the scene noted one gunman said, “naw … this is a homicide,” before shots were fired, investigators wrote. Detectives recovered spent shell casings and a cellphone dropped near the vehicle, evidence they later linked to one of the suspects, records state. The case remained active through 2021 and into 2022 as officers sought the alleged triggerman, who authorities believed had fled the area.
Officials said the fugitive moved between addresses and relied on friends and relatives for rides while avoiding routine traffic stops. A regional task force compiled tips, social media posts and phone records to establish patterns. Detectives also pulled additional camera footage from nearby homes. The break came this summer when investigators confirmed the suspect’s whereabouts and coordinated a pickup with plainclothes units, according to people briefed on the operation. The man was brought to the Public Safety Headquarters downtown for questioning, then to the county jail to await arraignment. No other arrests were announced Wednesday, but investigators said other aspects of the 2020 robbery-turned-shooting remain under review. Authorities have not said whether the firearm used in the attack has been recovered.
Court filings from the original case describe an attempted drug transaction that devolved in minutes. Records say the suspects arrived on foot, one approached the passenger side, and the other stood near the front fender before gunfire erupted. Neighbors reported hearing several rapid shots and vehicles speeding away. The block sits near apartment complexes and a convenience corridor where officers have responded to prior thefts and assaults, but there had not been a double homicide on that street in recent years, according to residents interviewed at the time. The shootings prompted additional patrols and door-to-door canvassing for camera footage. Family members of both victims later held vigils, calling the teen’s death “senseless” and urging anyone with information to speak with detectives.
With the suspect back in custody, the case returns to Bexar County criminal courts. Capital murder charges in Texas can carry life in prison without parole or the death penalty, depending on circumstances and prosecutorial decisions. In this investigation, prosecutors previously brought cases against multiple defendants tied to the December 2020 shootings. In the years since the killings, court records show plea negotiations and hearings across related dockets. By late 2023, co-defendants in the case admitted to lesser charges and received lengthy sentences, while the fugitive’s file remained open. Prosecutors said the re-arrest allows them to consolidate evidence for grand jury review and plan for pretrial settings. A magistrate is expected to set bond conditions once the booking process is complete.
Relatives of the victims said the news brought a measure of relief. Outside the courthouse, a family member said they had waited through seasons and hearings “to see this day,” adding that they want jurors to hear about the last moments inside the vehicle. A neighbor who lives near the scene recalled turning off holiday lights the night of the shootings and crouching with her children until officers cleared the block. “We heard the sirens and then the tape went up,” she said. “It changed the feel of our street for a long time.” A retired teacher who walks most evenings past the intersection said she hopes the arrest quiets lingering rumors that the case had gone cold. “People still talk about it,” he said. “Maybe now we’ll get the full story in court.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the suspect remained in the Bexar County jail pending a first court appearance. Prosecutors are expected to outline the next steps once the grand jury completes its review and a trial court sets dates. Investigators said they are still working to locate any additional video and to trace the gun used in the 2020 attack. The next procedural milestone is an initial hearing on bond and counsel appointment, followed by an indictment setting later this term.
Author note: Last updated December 23, 2025.