Arrest made in fatal Dallas carjacking, 22-year-old facing capital murder charges

DALLAS - A man has been arrested and charged with capital murder after a deadly carjacking in Northwest Dallas on August 18 and investigators say more arrests could be coming. 

Fatal Carjacking Arrest

Dallas Police say 22-year-old Rocky Mejia Jr. was arrested on Aug. 22 in connection with the case.

Dallas police are now working with Plano police because they believe the victim's vehicle that was stolen was used in other robberies last week.

The backstory:

According to the arrest affidavit, at 2:15 a.m. on the 18th, 34-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernandez Esparza was sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot of the Jones Creek Apartments in the 3200 block of Lombardy Lane in Dallas. Police say he was video chatting with his friend.

Police say the friend heard someone say "get out of the vehicle" in Spanish.

The friend then heard Hernandez Esparza say, "Wait, I live here," in Spanish. 

The friend told police she couldn't see him on video chat and believes the phone fell. She then heard a physical scuffle and a gunshot, and saw something reflective on the video chat screen. The video chat then ended.

The friend then called another person who lives at the apartment complex. That person went outside and saw Hernandez Esparza lying unconscious on the ground and called the police.

Dallas Police arrived at 3:31 a.m., according to the arrest affidavit.

Dallas Fire Rescue took Hernadez Esparza to the hospital, and he was pronounced dead at 5:48 a.m.

The investigation led police to find Hernandez Esparsa's vehicle on August 20, around 2 a.m. Police believe the vehicle was used in or connected to aggravated robbery offenses in Dallas and Plano. The license plate had been switched.

Detectives were able to use surveillance video and databases to connect the crime to Mejia. 

What they're saying:

Juan's younger sister, Jasmine Hernandez Esparza, immediately started calling her brother's roommates, friends, and neighbors at his Northwest Dallas complex. 

"His friend called me. she said she was on a facetime call with him, and she heard someone say get out of the car! he said no wait i live here but in Spanish. she couldn’t see or hear anything else other than she saw a guy," said Jasmine.

She learned Juan was found shot in the chest lying on the concrete.

He later died at the hospital.

"Whatever they do to that guy is not going to be enough for what he did to my brother," said Jasmine.

Dig deeper:

Juan Hernandez Esparza purchased this white Honda Civic just a few weeks ago.

Jasmine sent Dallas detectives a video of the car, hoping it would help investigators find her brother's killer.

"Wherever he is, I want him to know we are going to be OK. His son is going to be OK, and my mom is going to be OK, because the same way, he never let me down. I am not going to let him down," said Jasmine.

According to an arrest affidavit, investigators obtained surveillance video from across the street showing a silver Chevy Malibu sedan pulling up to Hernandez Esparza's parking lot.

Minutes later, the Malibu and the victim's Honda Civic drove off together.

Dallas police were able to link that Chevy Malibu to Mejia.

Police located the victim's Honda Civic abandoned, but it had a different license plate.

Then they learned it was connected to other aggravated robberies in both Dallas and Plano last week.

What's next:

Mejia is booked into the Dallas County Jail. He is facing charges of capital murder and is being held on a $504,000 bond.

Mejia has a lengthy criminal history in Dallas County. The sheriff's office sent prior mugshots from the past 5 years. The arrests include aggravated robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest along with multiple probation violations. 

Also noted, according to jail records, he was likely out on bond when he was arrested on Friday.

He also had a charge from Garland for allegedly assaulting a family member.

Northwest DallasCrime and Public Safety