Miami Standard (Houston, TX) – A Texas teenager’s jealousy-fueled rampage turned deadly when he and an accomplice opened fire on an apartment, killing the wrong man and injuring another, police say.
Fernando Amaya and Christopher Portillo Luna, both 17, now face murder and other charges in the shooting death of 41-year-old Marcos Cotto Torres, the Houston Police Department confirmed in a press release.
Authorities responded to the shooting shortly before 1 a.m. on March 18 at an apartment complex in west Houston after receiving a report of a person down. Upon arrival, officers discovered two men had been shot.
Cotto Torres was found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including to the back of the head. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. A second victim, who was shot in the buttocks, was transported to a hospital for treatment.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Amaya believed his girlfriend was cheating on him with another man who lived in the apartment. Seeking revenge, he allegedly told his girlfriend he planned to “shoot up the apartment” and then take his own life. The intended target, however, was not among the victims, as he managed to escape unharmed.
Surveillance footage captured Amaya and Portillo Luna fleeing in a white SUV, which was later traced back to a family member, investigators said. Authorities recovered 84 spent shell casings from an AK-style rifle at the crime scene. Local news footage from KTRK showed bullet-riddled concrete walls and boarded-up windows.
Police arrested Amaya just hours after the shooting and took Portillo Luna into custody on Thursday. Both suspects are being held on bonds exceeding $1 million. Their next court appearance is scheduled for April 29.
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