SAN ANTONIO – A 17-year-old boy has been arrested after turning himself into police on Sunday in connection with the brutal murder of 14-year-old Simon Cuevas near a Northwest Side school in April.
Andrew Cantu turned himself in and News 4 San Antonio/FOX SA were the only stations there to speak with him.
“I felt like I needed to do the right thing and turn myself in,” Cantu said.
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Police said surveillance footage and witness statements show Cantu, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, initiating an assault on Cuevas when he punched him. Several other juveniles were involved in the attack, that saw them brutally beat up the teenage boy before which ended when one of the group shot Cuevas while he was on the ground, according to the police report.
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School surveillance video captured Cantu and other suspects arriving in a brown Buick Enclave. Officers were able to track the vehicle and interview its driver, who confirmed transporting the suspects to the scene. Investigators said the group had coordinated the assault, which led to Cuevas’s death.
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Three other suspects have also been arrested, including 18-year-old Fernando Flores. A 14 and 16-year old are also in custody, and recently had their capital murder charges downgraded to assault bodily injury.
Another suspect, 20-year-old Caesar Tijerina, was found in Laredo, but died from a self-inflicted gunshot.