Jonathan Joss' Suspected Killer Makes Bail Amid Heated Online Hate Crime Debate

Yahoo

a day ago

The story behind Jonathan Joss' tragic death continues to unfold with more unexpected twists that have fans arguing about what is true.
The late voice actor for John Redcorn in "King of the Hill" took his final breath on Sunday, June 1, after a former neighbor shot him. The suspected killer, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, recently regained his freedom despite the ongoing investigations.
Jonathan Joss's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has vehemently condemned the murder as a hate crime, alleging the entertainer was shot without provocation. However, authorities and eyewitnesses tell a different story, with new reports backing their claims.
Following his arrest for shooting Joss, Ceja was taken into custody and detained with a $200,000 bond. San Antonio authorities revealed he recently posted bail and regained his freedom with a few restrictions placed on him to ensure he doesn't skip town.
According to Bexar County court records, the suspected killer has been placed on house arrest and must wear an ankle monitor. He was ordered not to own any firearms during his home detention, in addition to facing random drug and alcohol testing.
Ceja, per TMZ, confessed to the crime right after the attack, according to a police report. Authorities and eyewitnesses also noted the shooting did not stem from a hate crime. However, Joss' husband has insisted that the late actor died from a homophobic attack.
Like his partner, Joss claimed he was being targeted by homophobic neighbors and shared his concern with the "King of the Hill" creators during their ATX TV panel. The video capturing this moment made rounds on X, revealing the late entertainer was escorted out of the event.
Joss had been sitting in the audience when he stood up to claim his house was maliciously burned down because he was "gay."
He lost his South Side home to a raging fire in January and blamed the incident on his homophobic neighbors. Unfortunately, the animated show's creators were not interested in hearing him out.
The incident reportedly occurred two days before Joss was fatally shot, and it sparked renewed interest in what transpired between him and the shooter. X users butted heads with their speculations and theories, with some accepting authorities' version of the shooting while others believed Joss.
Fans on Joss' side vehemently defended his husband's hate crime allegations, with one X user imploring others not to be deceived by the opposing parties.
"The murder was 100% based on his sexuality," the individual declared. Another echoed similar sentiments, implying that those denying the homophobic killing wouldn't be as loud if a straight man had died.
A third was still on the fence about what happened, wondering if Joss was lying or telling the truth. A fourth pushed for justice for the late actor, while critics argued that while his death was tragic, it was not linked to homophobia.
Someone shared pictures of Joss' husband's emotional statements about his death and a former neighbor's claim. The neighbor claimed Joss was problematic during his lifetime, frequently starting gunfights and allegedly burning his house down while trying to run a meth lab.
The critic captioned the post with a theory that Joss' husband pulled at the public's heartstrings "for a GoFundMe payday by those who don't know any better."
According to Gonzales, Joss's husband, they were not welcomed in their neighborhood because they were in a same-sex relationship. He claimed these homophobic neighbors verbally attacked them with anti-gay slurs or complained about them being too loud.
Police records showed they responded to incidents at the couple's home over four dozen times, with most calls labeled as "disturbances." One of their former neighbors shed more light on these incidents, telling NBC News that Joss was impossible to live with. "He's been a nightmare," the source lamented.
Another source revealed the police department's "SAFFE" unit, which focused on crime prevention, had been involved in Joss' issues with his suspected killer. The spokesperson for authorities claimed the unit was mediating a dispute between Ceja and Joss for over a year following a crossbow incident.
In June 2024, Ceja called authorities after Joss allegedly approached his house with a crossbow while firing racial slurs at him. However, the late actor claimed he only visited his former neighbor's home to "talk about their dogs fighting with each other."
Cops did retrieve the crossbow from his home, an incident that comes to mind following a video of Joss's final moments. Before his altercation with Ceja, a female neighbor, Daniela Ruano recorded the late TV personality in an agitated state about a half hour before his death.
Joss walked up and down the street with a pitchfork and could be heard cussing and yelling, saying things like, "You're looking at me for what? I'm walking down the street. I'm rehearsing. I make movies, man."
Ruano told KSAT 12 News that this behavior was in line with Joss's alleged pattern of frequently terrorizing their neighborhood with his behavior.