Grandpa shot dead inside McDonald's in blue city while getting Happy Meals for grandkids
Jorge Arbaiza, 61, was shot multiple times at a McDonald's restaurant in Houston Sunday, according to a statement from the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Arbaiza was ordering Happy Meals for his two grandchildren when a gunfight between two groups of men broke out, ending with shots fired inside a restaurant filled with customers and their children, according to authorities.
Arbaiza's wife of nearly 40 years, Teresa, watched it unfold while waiting in a car with the two children, according to KHOU 11.
"I couldn't leave the kids alone. I could not go inside," Teresa told KHOU 11. "The kids were crying, and they were scared."
Teresa noticed a man with a gun in her vehicle's rearview mirror seconds before she heard shots ring out. Teresa called her husband's cellphone when she did not see him running from the restaurant.
"I'm dying. I'm going to die," were Arbaiza's last words, Teresa told KHOU 11.
Arbaiza was transported by a medical helicopter to a hospital, where he later died. In his last moments of life, Arbaiza made the sign of the cross and began to pray, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Gonzalez referred to the murder as "senseless" in a tweet posted to his X account.
"We are deeply saddened by this senseless violence that led to a tragic loss of life," Stuart Brown, the owner and operator of the Houston McDonald's, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the victim's family, and we are assisting the local police department in any way that we can."
One of the men involved in the shooting was also struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he was interviewed by detectives. Investigators used security camera footage to locate a vehicle and have identified multiple suspects involved in the brawl.
On Thursday, the Harris County Sheriff's Office arrested Antonio Ridge and charged him with Arbaiza's murder, according to Gonzalez. Ridge is being held in the Harris County Jail.
Authorities also revealed that a handgun used in the shooting was modified using a "Glock switch" that allows the user to turn the semi-automatic gun into an automatic weapon.
In honor of Arbaiza's life, Gonzalez is pledging his support for a bill proposed in Texas that will criminalize the possession and use of modified handguns in the state.
"These switches are a serious threat to our community and law enforcement," Gonzalez said in a social media post. "Let's get this [bill] passed and named in honor of Mr. Arbaiza."
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Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Luigi Mangione Musical Creators 'Glad' for Backlash: 'Humbling Experience'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Curtain call for Luigi: the Musical. The fringe production about the alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, has become one of the most talked-about theatre productions of the year. Before the show had even debuted, tickets had sold out, and there had been headline after headline about its mere existence. The subject matter is polarizing, as while some took no issue with a musical exploring one of the most covered and contentious criminal cases in recent history, some felt it was too soon, and others thought it risked glamorizing Mangione. In December of 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside of a hotel in Manhattan. What followed was a highly publicized nationwide manhunt, which culminated in Mangione's arrest in a Pennsylvania McDonald's. Mangione is charged with 11 counts, including first-degree murder "in furtherance of an act of terrorism"; two counts of second-degree murder; two counts of stalking; and a firearms offense. Federal prosecutors have announced their intent to seek the death penalty in Mangione's case. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges as well as terrorism charges. Since his arrest, the 27-year-old has been at the center of frenzied discourse both on and offline. The case and his arrest have reignited a debate about healthcare in America, and Mangione himself has been upheld as everything from a folk hero to a martyr and a sex symbol. Merchandise, including pint glasses carrying the phrase, "Deny, Defend, Depose," the words reportedly carved into ammunition casings near where Thompson was shot, has been sold. There have been Mangione t-shirts and multiple murals painted of him, not to mention the crowds of supporters at his court dates. Mangione is now incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, alongside Sean Diddy Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried is the co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in his sex-trafficking trial, but not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He remains detained at MDC, Brooklyn. The trio of these three high-profile incarcerated men is where the Mangione musical gets its inspiration. A surreal prison satire, the musical was written by Nova Bradford, Caleb Zeringue, Arielle Johnson and Andre Margatini. So far, it has starred Jonny Stein as Luigi, but actor Matthew Solomon is taking over for the next run of shows. Margatini plays Bankman-Fried, Zeringue plays the role of Sargeant De Larosa, and Janée Lucas plays the role of Combs. Photo-Illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Mariana Garcia/SharkPartyMedia The show is now headed to the Edinburgh Fringe for a limited run. Ahead of opening night, Newsweek spoke to Margatini and Zeringue for an exclusive interview on making the Mangione musical. 'A Humbling Experience' The response to the musical has perhaps not been surprising. Headlines have billed it as "Pro-Luigi," asked if it is "too soon," and said it is "pushing the boundaries of musical theatre." The court of public opinion is split, too. A post on X from the account @MAGAResource describing the musical as a "brazen display of left-wing depravity," and "trivializing a heinous murder," has been viewed over 300,000 times. A TikTok video from the account @thefatsycline, describing the musical as "brilliant," the cast as "fantastic," and the social commentary as "divine," has been viewed over 150,000 times. Left to Right: Andre Margatini as Sam Bankman Fried, Janée Lucas as Sean Diddy Combs and Jonny Stein as Luigi Mangione in Luigi: the Musical. Left to Right: Andre Margatini as Sam Bankman Fried, Janée Lucas as Sean Diddy Combs and Jonny Stein as Luigi Mangione in Luigi: the Musical. Mariana Garcia, Luigi: the Musical Asked about the criticism that the musical has received, Margatini told Newsweek "We're quite glad to see that kind of feedback." Pointing to the response to the Mangione case, Margatini said, "People are right to be wondering whether it's too soon for this kind of narrative, but we should also be asking that about how we consumed it and distributed it with social media in the immediate aftermath." "It feels too soon, but we're living in an age of too soon," Margatini said. The musical itself hit the internet like a supernova, instantly going viral. "We did one interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, and then my face was on Laura Ingraham," Zeringue told Newsweek. "It was a very surreal moment," Zeringue said, before describing it as "a humbling experience." Following the press attention, the team took a purposeful step back from the media. "We realised the most important thing to us is to make sure that the art is working and that we create the best piece of art that we can for the world," Zeringue said, adding that he is "very proud," of the team for "taking that step back to try to maintain the integrity of the art." In the face of the intense attention the musical received, Zeringue said they had to "grow up very fast." "I had a suspicion that this might strike a chord with certain outlets," Zeringue said, but likened the real-life experience of it to a kind of "twisted reality." For Margatini, the most shocking thing was that when they went viral, "No one, not even our friends of family, had seen the musical. No one had read it. No one had seen it." "It was quite shocking just to see how quickly one article telephoned into another article," Maragatini said. "It was quite telling and eye-opening to really be at the middle of that because it was so fabricated." 'A Disturbing and Fascinating Moment in our American Culture' The response to the Mangione case has been both endless and multifaceted. Across all spheres of the internet, you'll find takes on both sides of the political spectrum that are either vehemently against or in support of Mangione. What they have in common is their loud and impassioned nature. Andre Margatini as Sam Bankman Fried in Luigi the Musical. Andre Margatini as Sam Bankman Fried in Luigi the Musical. Mariana Garcia, Luigi: the Musical For Margatini, the thing that was the most interesting about the case was the cultural conversation immediately after. They described this to Newsweek as a "Disturbing and fascinating moment in our American culture." "We're inundated with gun violence all of the time," Margatini said. "Very few shootings get massive attention because there's just so many of them." For Margatini, irrespective of how a person may feel about Mangione himself, "The fact that there were so many conversations warranted attention." As for why they believe the case resonated in the way that it did, Margatini attributes this to the intersection of discourse about gun violence and the healthcare system. "We're at this moment in time where virality is part of how we communicate," they said. Margatini said that the image of Mangione was "rapidly moving around the Internet in such a hugely uncontrollable way that we were intentionally slowing down that conversation." The fact that the musical is about Mangione has led to many assuming that it is pro-Mangione, a narrative that assumes guilt by association. The truth, though, is much more complex. Part of the about section of the Mangione musical website reads: "Luigi: the Musical doesn't glorify violence, it interrogates it. Beneath the absurdity and punchlines lies a serious critique of how violence is packaged, sold, and consumed in American media." "The majority of the musical is telling this narrative story of a potentially motivating backstory for Luigi," Margatini said. But the musical pivots. "Our last song is an alarming portrayal of what it means for us to hold up some sort of vigilantism as a solution to systemic violence," Margatini said. "The musical takes a turn in the very last number that is eerie and it's uncomfortable... it asks the question, what kind of world are we living that we have turned someone into a vigilante to solve this systemic issue." The musical was inspired by the fact that Mangione, Combs, and Bankman-Fried were all incarcerated in the same facility, a setup so strange that you couldn't write it. While the show explores ideas around violence and vigilantism, it also explores ideas around fame and celebrity. Caleb Zeringue as the Guard in Luigi, the Musical Caleb Zeringue as the Guard in Luigi, the Musical Mariana Garcia, Luigi the Musical "Celebrities can kind of sometimes stand in for something that feels like, deity light or some sort of untouchable figure," Zeringue told Newsweek. "We are sometimes drawn to packaged narratives that can help us have a clear-cut understanding of what's going on in the world, because we're all trying to create a sense of meaning, especially in an age where we're kind of inundated with information all of the time." "There's one lyric that I think illustrates this pretty well in the final song, 'Our institutions are too complex to understand how things connect,'" Zeringue said. 'Just because we're making a comedy doesn't mean we don't take it seriously' Pointing to the response that the Mangione case has had, Zeringue told Newsweek, "One thing we're proud of right now is using art to help the world process these emotions." But there is one element of the musical he is firm on: "Just because we're making a comedy doesn't mean we don't take it seriously," he told Newsweek, adding, "We really try to interrogate the sides of all of what people feel towards Luigi," Zeringue said. Jonny Stein as Luigi Mangione and Caleb Zeringue as the Guard on stage in Luigi: the Musical. Jonny Stein as Luigi Mangione and Caleb Zeringue as the Guard on stage in Luigi: the Musical. Mariana Garcia, Luigi: The Musical Zeringue said that his character in the musical, the guard, has "complex emotions that we think is a mirror to what the world is going through around the circumstances with the case." "I am very grateful that I think we were lucky enough as artists to create a mirror, to society," Zeringue said. "We don't want to give answers. We just want people to feel kind of confused and ask themselves more questions whenever they leave when they came in." And for the team, this is only the beginning. Zeringue told Newsweek that beyond exploring venues in New York and Los Angeles to stage the show, they're looking at creating their own production company to potentially make a second half of this musical, or other projects entirely. "We have so many amazingly talented people on this team and now that we've found each other, I can only imagine we're going to have plenty of art to be making and sharing," Margatini told Newsweeek. Luigi: The Musical will be showing at Just The Tonic, Just The Club at the Edinburgh Fringe from Tuesday, August 19 to Saturday, August 23.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Texas Jail Frees Convicted Domestic Abuser by Mistake, Manhunt Underway
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A manhunt is underway after a convicted domestic abuser was "mistakenly released" in Texas on Sunday afternoon. Troy Dugas was shown out of the Harris County Jail in downtown Houston at about 4:30 p.m. after a paperwork error, according to local media reports citing the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO). The 36-year-old was supposed to be starting a 5-year prison term, but instead walked free from the Harris County Jail after officials accidentally released him. Troy Dugas, 36, was mistakenly released from jail on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. Troy Dugas, 36, was mistakenly released from jail on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. HCSO/X The sheriff's office shared Dugas' mugshot on social media platform X, saying: "Please be on the lookout for Troy Dugas, 36. Deputies are searching for Dugas after he was mistakenly released from jail on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Please call 911 to report sightings." Please be on the lookout for Troy Dugas, 36. Deputies are searching for Dugas after he was mistakenly released from jail on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Please call 911 to report sightings. — HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) August 18, 2025 They added: "Dugas was due to begin serving a 5-year state prison sentence for assaulting a family member in Fort Bend County and a 2-year sentence for evading arrest in Brazoria County. He is a black male, 215 pounds, 6'1"." Newsweek has reached out by email to HCSO seeking further information and comment. This is a developing story and will be updated. Anyone seeking help should call The National Domestic Violence Hotline, a free and confidential hotline available 24/7 that can be reached on 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. The Hotline also provides information on local resources. For more information, visit
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Shocking number of teens are victims and perpetrators under 'Raise the Age' law
Every day the Raise the Age law stands is another day of mourning for Julia Verona, whose 14-year-old son was fatally stabbed outside a McDonald's in Queens, allegedly by another teen. The law changed how teens are treated in New York's criminal justice system, increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, often funneling more violent cases to the state's family courts and resulting in reduced sentences when compared to adult suspects. The teens involved in the brawl that resulted in her son Julian Corniell's death are still in the neighborhood, she said. 12 The teens involved with Julian Corniell's death are still in the neighborhood, his mother said. Brigitte Stelzer/copyphoto 'I have to go to therapy for that every Saturday because it makes me very angry,' Verona told The Post. 'They're still outside, I've seen them with my own eyes. They still go to that McDonald's like nothing ever happened.' 'They should change [the law] – they should make it more serious, because these kids are out there continuing to do the same thing,' Verona said. Verona, 36, said she wished the name of her son's alleged 16-year-old killer would be released, and that the rest of the teens present would face some kind of consequence. 12 'They should change [the law] – they should make it more serious, because these kids are out there continuing to do the same thing,' Julia Verona, Corniell's mother, said. Brigitte Stelzer 'The way that family court takes care of things…it's not serious enough. They have more protections for these criminals.' In July 2022, 11-year-old Kyhara Tay was shot and killed outside a nail salon in the Bronx by two teens on a moped — with then 18-year-old Omar Bojang driving and then 15-year-old Matthew Godwin pulling the trigger, authorities said. The two were looking for a rival, 13-year-old gang member when they killed Kyhara, whose parents slammed the Raise the Age law as having protected Bojang, who had a previous rap sheet that included gun-related incidents. 12 11-year-old Kyhara Tay was shot and killed outside a nail salon in the Bronx by two teens on a moped. Godwin was sentenced in April to 10 years to life behind bars, while Bojang was sentenced to 15 years in May. 'You were carrying a gun as an adult, trying to kill someone as an adult, then you should be charged as an adult,' Kyhara's devastated mom, Yahisha Gomez, told The Post. 'Just a little slap on the wrist and they are coming out thinking they could commit more crimes. They know the consequences are not as severe…they don't think about the family,' dad Sokpini Tay said. Yanely Henriquez lost her 16-year-old daughter Angellyh Yambo on April 8, 2022, when 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan opened fire with a ghost gun on the street in the Bronx as University Prep Charter High School, where Yambo was a straight-A student, let out. Yambo was caught in the crossfire and shot in the back. Ryan was sentenced in September 2023 to 15 years to life. 12 Angellyh Yambo was caught in the crossfire when 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan opened fire with a ghost gun, and was shot in the back. Facebook/Gordo Manuel Yambó 'If you commit a crime, you must be [treated as] an adult,' the mom demanded. 'This is why these kids are doing whatever they want, because they know they are just getting a slap on their hands. If you have a gun to use, you need to be an adult and face the consequences for your actions.' Here are examples of teenagers allegedly killed by other teenagers so far in 2025: Times Square shooting A 17-year-old allegedly opened fire in Times Square last week, striking three people — including an 18-year-old tourist from Maryland as she rode in an Uber with her siblings and parents, according to police. The bullet grazed the tourist's neck. 'We heard gunshots,' the teen victim's mom later told The Post. 'My daughter was holding her neck. She was bleeding…It's a very horrific experience.' 12 Police at the scene where three people were shot on W44th Street near Seventh Avenue in the Times Square section of New York on August 9. Christopher Sadowski The accused gunman, identified as Jayden Clarke, had gotten into an argument with a Citibike rider inside of the Raising Cane's restaurant on Broadway around 1 a.m. on Aug. 9, and decided to settle the beef by leaving the eatery and opening fire, according to police sources. Cops recovered a .380-caliber Glock 42 from his waistband at the scene. Clarke pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault and reckless endangerment and weapons charges and was ordered held on $200,000 bail. 12 The accused Times Square gunman, identified as Jayden Clarke, pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder. Michael Nagle Bronx beatdown On Aug. 5, two young teens — just 15-and 16-years-old — were arrested and charged with murder and gang assault in the vicious beating and fatal stabbing of Angel Mendoza, a 14-year-old who was hanging with friends at the Williamsbridge Oval Playground in Norwood. Cell phone video taken by the boy's suspected attackers shows the pack zeroing in on him before smashing him 'in the face with a Taurus 9mm pistol' and then repeatedly striking and kicking him on 'his head, face and body,' according to court documents and police sources. 12 Angel Mendoza, 14, was hanging with friends at the Williamsbridge Oval Playground in Norwood when he was attacked and killed. family handout 12 A memorial for Angel Mendoza, in Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx, NY. J.C. Rice The two teens, among four suspects arrested in Mendoza's killing, have not been identified because of their ages, and will likely be tried in the youth part of Bronx Criminal Court. Andrew Ansah and Jordan Williams, both 18, were charged with the same raps in the case. They will be tried in Bronx Criminal Court. Mendoza was not in a gang and had no previous run-ins with police, said his family, who hid his shoes to keep him home and out of trouble. Stray bullet slaying A 14-year-old gang member allegedly opened fire near a Morrisania schoolyard around 5 p.m. on May 12 — killing 16-year-old Evette Jeffrey as she rode her scooter, authorities said. The babyfaced gunman is believed to have fired his weapon after a fistfight broke out between his friends and rival gangbangers as they left the Bronx playground at 800 Home Street. Evette had celebrated her first anniversary with her boyfriend, also 16, with a date at a Chinese buffet, relatives said. The young couple were on their way home when the gunshots rang out, with a bullet striking her in the head. 12 16-year-old Evette Jeffrey was shot and killed as she rode her scooter after a 14-year-old gang member allegedly opened fire near a Morrisania schoolyard, authorities said. Robert Miller 12 Police officers responding to the scene were they found Evette Jeffrey unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Her accused killer, who authorities said had already racked up a previous assault charge on his rap sheet, pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge and was ordered held without bail. Evette's grandmother told The Post she would 'never forgive' the alleged teen killer. 'I hold your family responsible because they should be watching you,' she sobbed. McDonald's stabbing An after school brawl among a large group of teens on Valentine's Day ended in tragedy in Sunnyside, when Julian Corniell, 14, was fatally stabbed at a McDonald's on Queens Boulevard. 12 Corniell was stabbed outside a McDonald's in Queens, allegedly by another teen. James Messerschmidt A 16-year-old was charged with murder for allegedly whipping out a knife and plunging it into the left side of Corniell's torso. The boy collapsed and later died at Weill Cornell Medical Center, while his alleged killer was held without bail in March. Julia Verona described her only son as a 'brilliant' and 'very fun little boy,' who loved to play video games and soccer. Coney Island murder A 13-year-old boy with at least one prior arrest for assault was charged with second-degree murder as an adult for the January 2023 stabbing of a 17-year-old in Brooklyn's Coney Island. 12 Nyheem Wright was killed in front of his twin brother in a parking lot. Facebook Nyheem Wright was killed in front of his twin brother in a parking lot, during an after-school fight over a girl, police said. The suspect was charged as a 'juvenile offender,' a component of the Raise the Age law which results in a maximum sentence of nine years to life if convicted of the top charges — compared to an adult, who in the same circumstance could get a max of 25 years to life. Another two teens were arrested at the time, one 15 and one as young as 14, for their role in the slaying. Nyheem's mother, Simone Brooks, told The Post his stricken sibling, Raheem, 'stayed with his twin brother the whole time,' trying to help him — before watching him die.
