SAN ANTONIO – Disputes over people staying on and visiting a vacant East Side lot ended in a deadly shooting last month, and a man now faces a murder charge.
Simon Sanchez, 43, is charged with murder in connection with the death of 27-year-old Leonard Casias on Oct. 12, 2025, according to an arrest affidavit.
San Antonio police had responded to reports of a shooting around 11:40 p.m. in the 600 block of Jenull Avenue.
When police arrived, the affidavit states that officers found Casias on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
A Crime Stoppers release issued earlier this week seeking information on the shooting formally identified Casias.
A 32-year-old woman sustained injuries to her hand attempting to shield Casias during the shooting, according to the affidavit.
When speaking with investigators at the hospital, documents state that the woman identified the suspect by his first name. She stated that she had known Sanchez for approximately a year, and he lived with his mother nearby to the shooting location, the affidavit said.
The woman later identified Sanchez in a photo shown by investigators, documents state.
Two witnesses were at the scene during the shooting and later gave similar statements to investigators about what led up to the shooting.
Vacant lot dispute spurred October shooting
Both witnesses told police that they stayed at an abandoned trailer near the 600 block of Jenull Avenue and that Casias and the woman stayed “on and off,” according to the affidavit.
One of the witnesses told police that the head had known Sanchez “for a while” and saw him in the area several times.
On the night of the shooting, the affidavit said that both witnesses reported hearing arguing and Sanchez telling Casias he was not allowed to be on the lot and needed to leave.
One of the witnesses reportedly told Casias to leave, but he continued arguing with Sanchez. The witness then said he heard several gunshots and saw Casias lying on the ground, the affidavit said.
One of the witnesses called 911 after Sanchez fled from the scene, according to documents.
Man shot multiple times in similar incident nearby months earlier
The woman, when speaking with investigators at the hospital, alluded to a similar shooting months prior involving Sanchez.
In the incident, which happened on June 25, Sanchez was named as a suspect wanted for aggravated assault. Though the victim did not press charges, investigators said the details of the shooting were similar, according to the affidavit.
The victim in the June shooting told police in an incident report that he was near the vacant lot on Jenull Avenue when he encountered Sanchez, who told him to leave.
At one point, Sanchez shot the victim multiple times, the affidavit said. The incident report does not specify why charges were not filed.
The shooting victim described the suspect as bald and stocky. He also told investigators that Sanchez lived nearby with his mother.
Investigators determined Sanchez does not own or have any authority over the vacant lot where both shootings happened, the affidavit said.
Bexar County court records indicate Sanchez was arrested by SAPD on Tuesday, Nov. 4. His bond is set at $350,000.
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