Tipster leads to arrest in W. Side shooting

From: San Antonio Express, TX - Jul 27, 2005

Mary Moreno
Express-News Staff Writer

A tip to Crime Stoppers has led to the arrest of a man police say fired into a crowd and killed a 21-year-old deaf man known as "Silent Joe."

Jesus Treviño, 21, was charged with murder and was being held Tuesday at Bexar County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.

Joe Albert Rodriguez, 21, was gunned down July 10 outside his home in the Alazan-Apache Courts. Witnesses told police a man opened fire on a crowd gathered there.

Rodriguez was deaf and his family and friends called him "Silent Joe."

His younger brother, Angel, said his brother probably didn't hear the gunshots and that's why he didn't duck when everyone else did.

After he was shot in the neck, Rodriguez took his hand off his wound to sign to his brother for him not to worry. He then died in Angel's arms.

Treviño was identified by at least two people in the crowd as the shooter, according to the arrest affidavit.

Also, a man told police that Treviño had a gun and later told him he had shot someone with it, according to the affidavit. Treviño told that man he had thrown the gun into a field, the affidavit states.

Police identified Treviño as a suspect shortly after the shooting and issued several requests for the public to help find him. Crime Stoppers offered a reward and it panned out.

Officers found Treviño under a pile of dirty clothes in the closet of an apartment in the 3700 block of Pleasanton Road. He was arrested Monday night.

mmoreno@express-news.net

© 2005 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News. All rights reserved.