4 arrested for violent Arlington crime spree that left 1 dead, 1 injured
ARLINGTON, Texas - Four young adults connected to a string of violent crimes in Arlington are now all charged with capital murder. Police said a man they shot died this week.
The suspects include 17-year-old Angel Barajas, 17-year-old Ja’Tavies Jones, and 20-year-old Humberto Barajas. The fourth suspect is a juvenile, so his name has not been released.
They’re accused of fatally shooting 34-year-old Juan Sosa on Sunday. He died at the hospital on Wednesday.
The Backstory:
Police found Sosa slumped in a car in a parking lot on Little Road near Highway 287 around 3 a.m. on Sunday.
A woman who was with him at the time of the shooting told officers that as they were getting into the car, a Honda Civic pulled up behind them.
Four people got out of the Civic and one pointed a gun at the couple, telling them to get out of the car. Shots were fired, and Sosa was struck.
Arlington suspects believed to be connected to 2 separate shootings
Arlington police say they have arrested 3 of 4 suspects believed to be involved in two separate shootings on Saturday.
The suspects got back into the Civic and drove off.
Investigators used witness testimony and security cameras to get a good description of the Civic.
Officers spotted it later that morning, along with a Lincoln Town Car that appeared to be following it. When they tried to pull the two cars over, the Civic sped off.
The Town Car stopped, and Humberto and the juvenile suspect got out. Both were arrested.
The Civic crashed a short time later on Browning Drive. Officers arrested Angel at an apartment complex in that area.
Jones, the fourth suspect, was later identified and arrested as well.
Police have since determined that the Civic was reported stolen out of Dallas, and the Town Car was stolen in Grand Prairie.
The Civic and the four suspects were also connected to an earlier shooting that injured a woman and a dog at an Arlington apartment complex.
"The speed at which they were committing these violent crimes is unprecedented," said Arlington Police Spokesperson Alex Rosado.
The Timeline:
Dec. 14 @ 9:45 p.m.: A Honda Civic was reported stolen out of Dallas. Police say the young men stole the car and then headed wast.
Dec. 15 @ 1:30 a.m.: The four suspects were involved in a shooting at an apartment complex on Deer Creek Drive in Arlington. A woman and her boyfriend said the young men knocked on their door and asked about a man who did not live there. The boyfriend and the group began to argue. When the boyfriend left to get a bat, one of the men pulled out a gun and started to shoot at the apartment. The woman was hit in the arm, and a dog was grazed by a bullet. Both are expected to be okay. The suspects got away in the Civic.
Dec. 15 @ 3 a.m.: 34-year-old Juan Sosa was shot and killed in an attempted carjacking by four suspects in a Civic, about 12 miles away from the scene of the first shooting.
Dec. 15 @ 4:20 a.m.: Police say the group then carjacked a Lincoln Town Car from another person in Grand Prairie.
Dec. 15 @ 5 a.m.: Patrol officers spotted the Civic and Town Car in the 1600 block of Parkway Lane. The Civic took off, but the Town Car stopped. 20-year-old Humberto Barajas and a male juvenile were taken into custody.
Dec. 15 @ Shortly after 5 a.m.: The Civic wrecked out in the 2100 block of Browning Drive and 17-year-old Angel Barajas was arrested at a nearby apartment complex.
Dec. 18: Sosa died from his injuries at the hospital. Detectives then obtained arrest warrants for all four suspects for capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Dec. 19: The U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force located 17-year-old Jones and arrested him in Arlington.
The Charges:
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The three adult suspects are being held in the Tarrant County jail.
Humberto is charged with capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, and animal cruelty. He also had outstanding felony warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon out of Dallas County.
Angel is charged with capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, animal cruelty, and evading arrest.
Jones is charged with capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Additional charges against him are pending.
The juvenile is being held in the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center. He’s charged with capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, and animal cruelty.
"They were looking to steal cars that day. Even having shot a woman and a dog earlier in the evening didn’t stop them, They continued to put guns in people's faces and stole their cars all through the night," said Rosado. "They really left a wake of terror in the metroplex over the weekend, and I’m glad we have them finally in custody."
Police said their investigation is ongoing.