SAN ANTONIO – The teenager who died on Tuesday after a possible shoot-out and high-speed crash in a stolen vehicle has been identified.
A grief-stricken Arthur Thomas has confirmed the death of his 16-year-old son, Arthur Curtis Thomas Jr.
Police say the teen died Tuesday, after he was shot and crashed while driving a stolen car on Steep Valley near Old Seguin Rd.
Related: Young man killed after possible shootout, high-speed crash in Far Northeast Side
The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. off Steep Valley near Old Seguin Road. That’s when neighbors say a Dodge Challenger came crashing into a black SUV parked on Steep Valley. The car was pushed nearly two houses down into another driveway.
Those who heard it say it sounded like an explosion, including the owner of the now totaled SUV — who wanted to keep his identity hidden.
“My roommate said that he had heard it…came down here, saw that my car was all the way down there and was all smashed up. He thought it was me at first,” the owner said, adding that his roommate immediately jumped into action after realizing someone was in the car.
“He ran over, saw that I wasn’t in the vehicle, saw the driver, the victim in his car, pulled him out, started doing CPR on him, noticed that he was bleeding a lot, and saw that there were possible gunshot wounds to his chest,” the driver said.
According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Thomas Jr. sustained a gunshot wound to his left side before the vehicle crashed. He was pronounced dead shortly after the crash at 3:50 a.m.
The Medical Examiner confirmed Thomas Jr. died of the gunshots and not the crash.
The incident rocked a seemingly quiet Converse neighborhood.
“I’ve been there 20 years, and this is maybe five or four things that’s happened,” said Eric, a neighbor in the area. “Everybody in this block, we all know each other, phone number, we get along, so we try to keep that away from here.”
Thomas was driving a vehicle that was reported stolen around 10 p.m. on Monday. Officials believe he and the occupants of a nearby home had been involved in an ongoing feud. Investigators found signs of a shooting a few houses down from the crash site, with evidence indicating shots were fired from both the street and a residence.
Deputies said Thomas drove at a high rate of speed after being shot. Skid marks indicated he was traveling in excess of 70–80 mph in the residential neighborhood.
A handgun was recovered, and several people were detained for questioning, but there have been no arrests so far.
We spoke with the teen’s father, who did not want to speak on camera. He said his family is hurt, but he wants the public to know his son was never a bad kid.