Latest news with #TristanKernDeGonzales
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cops Contradict Claim Made by Husband of Murdered TV Star
Cops investigating the murder of Jonathan Joss have told the Daily Beast that the King of the Hill star did not make a single report of being threatened before his death, contradicting his husband's claims that they made 'multiple' complaints which went ignored. Joss, 59, was gunned down Sunday during a confrontation with his neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, with whom the voice actor had allegedly been feuding. In the aftermath, Joss's grieving husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales used the star's Facebook page to claim the pair had been 'harassed regularly by individuals [who were] openly homophobic,' suggesting Joss' sexual orientation played a role in his murder. A police source told the Daily Beast that the force had found no evidence that prejudice had played a part in the killing, and that homophobia had not featured in its report sent to the District Attorney. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said: 'We have found no evidence of homophobia as a motive during our investigation of this tragic incident. 'If that changes in the course of the investigation, our detectives will, of course, inform the District Attorney.' The San Antonio Police Department cast doubt on such claims in a June 2 statement posted to X, writing, 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that ... Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.' However, in a Thursday press conference update, the police department appeared to wildly change its tune as Chief of Police William P. McManus apologized for releasing a statement on Joss' case before a full investigation. McManus called the statement 'way, way, way premature.' 'It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to have been issued' he added. 'I will own that.' Addressing calls for Joss' murder to be treated as a hate crime, McManus explained during the brief update, which lasted around 7 minutes, that 'hate crimes' are not treated as separate charges in Texas. 'Instead they are addressed through sentencing enhancements,' McManus said. 'A hate crime designation can be attached to a charge and elevated.' In his Facebook post, Kern de Gonzales alleged that Joss' shooter had been 'yelling violent homophobic slurs at us' before he shot Joss—who voiced John Redcorn in the popular and long-running animated show King of the Hill—in what he later described as a 'hate crime.' He added, 'We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done,' saying the home was burned down 'after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire.' The Daily Beast has attempted to reach Mr Kern de Gonzales for comment. A spokesperson for San Antonio Police Department said in a statement issued to the Daily Beast Wednesday: 'The San Antonio Police Department has responded to Mr. Joss's residence over 70 times in the last two years for various incidents. None of these incidents involved reports of threats of any kind.' Alvarez—who police said immediately admitted to shooting Joss—has been charged with murder and released under house arrest on a $200,000 bond, with a pre-trial hearing set for August 19. He posted on his own Facebook account Wednesday: 'Am I surprised the police investigated themselves and found out they did nothing wrong? Am I surprised they released my husband's killer after I spoke out about them? No. 'I have no faith in the criminal justice system. I only have faith that those outside a uniform who loved my husband will see to justice that doesn't cost the American taxpayers.' Kern de Gonzales also posted a TikTok video the same day in which in which he said he 'won't stop talking about this.' 'I'm not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime, and I just won't be silenced.' Chief William. P. McManus will on Thursday evening attend a neighborhood forum featuring San Antonio Pride. The police source said the force had decided to speak out, including releasing this statement to the Daily Beast, to reassure the public that it was handling the investigation sensitively and properly.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
King of the Hill actor Jonathan Joss' suspected killer is out of jail on $200K bail following fatal shooting
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, the man suspected of fatally shooting King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation actor Jonathan Joss, is out of jail on a $200,000 bail. Just days after he was arrested for murder, law enforcement officers in San Antonio confirmed to TMZ that Alvarez, who was Joss' neighbor, has 'been placed under house arrest.' He is required to wear an ankle monitor and will 'undergo random drug and alcohol testing.' During his detention, Alvarez is also forbidden from possessing firearms. Joss, 59, died in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday after a reported altercation with Alvarez outside his home. Alvarez was captured by law enforcement and booked on suspicion of murder. The report from the San Antonio Police Department obtained by states Alvarez uttered 'I shot him' as he was detained by arresting officers. New details about the run-up to the violent crime have also emerged via the report, with an unnamed witness stating they drove Joss from Austin to his burned down San Antonio home around 7pm on June 1 to check his mail. The witness said she pulled up and parked in the driveway while she waited for Joss and another witness to check the mail. Joss' husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales has claimed he was with the actor on this trip and during the murder. Per the report, she said she saw suspect Alvarez pull up in his vehicle with a passenger and stop 'directly behind her car.' She allegedly saw Joss and Alvarez argue in her rearview mirror, and claimed Alvarez told Joss 'he had a gun and would shoot [Joss].' She claims Alvarez then shot Joss. Per the report, Joss was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.20pm and Alvarez was detained by police and 'immediately told them "I shot him." His weapons were seized. The report states that '[Alvarez] intentionally and knowingly discharged a weapon at [Joss] resulting in his death New details about the run-up to the violent crime have also emerged via the report, with a unnamed witness stating they drove Joss from Austin to his burned down San Antonio home around 7pm on June 1 to check his mail Joss' husband has since claimed the star's death was a homophobia-fueled murder - although police have dismissed this theory. A statement from a San Antonio PD spokesman read: 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.' Last Saturday, Joss — who boasts 9K social media followers — shared a video of himself in good spirits, urging fans to visit him at Tribe Comics and Games in Austin, TX for a signing. The Our Lady of the Lake University grad's last IMDb-credited gig was voicing characters for CD Projekt RED's video game Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty in 2023 alongside Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba. Jonathan also voiced the character Healing in Paul McComas and Holly Trasti's animated drama Unplugged alongside the late Louis Gossett Jr., the late Ed Asner, Christina Ricci and Jeri Ryan. But Joss is best known for voicing musician and healer John Redcorn, who embarked on a 14-year-long affair with anchorwoman Nancy Hicks-Gribble (Ashley Gardner), on the Fox animated sitcom from seasons 2–13. On January 23, Jonathan suffered the loss of his three beloved dogs when his childhood home, that his father built in 1957, burned to the ground. Joss also lost his car in the blaze, but the GoFundMe organized by Logan Kostroun successfully raised $21,300 from a $15K goal. But neighbors told TMZ on Monday that his house burned down because he attempted to use a BBQ pit to heat it after the city allegedly 'shut off his power when the property was deemed unsafe and uninhabitable.' On Monday, the star's widow Tristan Kern de Gonzales — whom he wed on Valentine's Day — claimed he was murdered after they were 'harassed' for two years by 'openly homophobic' individuals who 'did not accept our relationship.' 'When we returned to the site to check our mail, we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress,' the South Carolina native recalled on Facebook. 'While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Jonathan and I had no weapons.' 'My focus now is on protecting Jonathan's legacy and honoring the life we built together,' Tristan wrote in a Facebook He continued, 'We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.' Tristan added, 'My focus now is on protecting Jonathan's legacy and honoring the life we built together.' Jonathan is also remembered for his role as Chief Ken Hotate in five episodes of NBC's mockumentary sitcom Parks and Recreation spanning 2011–2015. Joss had small roles in TV shows like Walker Texas Ranger, Charmed, ER, Ray Donovan and Tulsa King. He also acted in films like True Grit, The Magnificent Seven, Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World and Johnson Family Vacation.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
San Antonio police backpedal on initial claim that Jonathan Joss' murder was not an anti-LGBT hate crime
Less than a week after the San Antonio Police Department insisted there was 'no evidence whatsoever' of homophobia in the June 1 shooting death of former King of the Hill actor Jonathan Joss, the city's top cop walked back that claim as 'way, way, way premature.' 'We shouldn't have done it,' SAPD Chief William McManus said at a Thursday press conference. 'It was way too soon, before we had any real information, and I will own that.' 'We understand that many in the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned,' McManus added. 'A lot of it has to do with that premature statement that we released, and again, I own that shouldn't have done it. The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic and most, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community.' Last Sunday, as Joss, 59, and husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales drove to San Antonio from Austin, where they had recently been living, to check the mail at what remains of their home, which burned down in January. (Kern de Gonzalez said he is certain the blaze was arson. Authorities, on the other hand, have said the cause remains undetermined.) When they got there, the pair was shocked to find the charred skull of one of their three dogs, which had perished in the blaze, placed on the ground 'in clear view,' according to Kern de Gonzales. The two began crying and screaming, leading to the deadly confrontation with neighbor Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, he said. In announcing Joss' death on social media, Kern de Gonzales, 23, said there was no doubt the deadly attack was a hate crime. The 59-year-old Ceja, Kern de Gonzales wrote in a Facebook post, 'was someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.' Still, the SAPD issued a statement a day later saying investigators had found nothing 'to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation.' 'We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information,' the statement said. 'Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.' However, Kern de Gonzales subsequently told The Independent that Ceja laughed and spewed homophobic slurs as Joss lay dying. 'Everything was really close range. It was in the head,' Kern de Gonzales said. 'I held his face together while I told him how much I loved him. He could still hear me, he looked up at me and he wasn't able to talk because of the extent [of his injuries], but I could tell he was trying to say, 'I love you.'' This, according to Kern de Gonzales, prompted Ceja to unleash a vile anti-LGBT+ tirade. 'While I'm holding him, he has the gun pointed over me, and he's laughing, saying, 'Oh, you love him? Joto,'' said Kern de Gonzales, who grew up in South Carolina. ''Joto' is Spanish for f****t. I never knew the word until I came to Texas, and then I heard it a lot.' Joss was pronounced dead at the scene. Ceja, according to an incident report obtained from the SAPD, quickly confessed, telling police, 'I shot him.' Some 48 hours following the shooting, Ceja, who is now facing a first-degree murder charge, was released from jail on $200,000 bond. He will remain under house arrest, two doors down from where Joss was gunned down, pending trial. In a follow-up interview with The Independent after Ceja bailed out, Kern de Gonzales said he was not surprised by the turn of events and railed against the SAPD for not having better protected Joss. He said the couple, who married this past Valentine's Day, had lodged dozens of complaints about alleged harassment and threats from Ceja and other nearby residents, to little effect. Joss had also been the subject of complaints to police by neighbors, who called the cops on the actor more than 50 times in the past year, according to SAPD incident logs. However, while Joss may have at times annoyed people by ' ranting and raving ' in public, Kern de Gonzales said he suffered at times from mental illness but insisted he was never a danger to himself or anyone else. 'I've been in mental health crisis and acted just as Jonathan did, even worse,' he told The Independent. 'The difference was, I was given medical attention and was treated as someone who needed help instead of being seen as a violent threat. Jonathan was never violent, he never went after anybody or threatened anybody's person.' Joss, who was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent, was best known for voicing the part of John Redcorn in the animated series King of the Hill. He also appeared in a recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate on the NBC series Parks and Recreation. Ceja 'thought he would silence [Joss] and get rid of him, but all he did was make him more powerful,' Kern de Gonzales said. 'Now,' he continued, Joss will instead 'be remembered as a martyr and a legend' among many in the LGBT+ and Native American communities. Ceja is due back in court on August 19. His court-appointed lawyer, Alfonso Otero, did not respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Suspect in ‘King of the Hill' actor's death ‘immediately' confessed: police
The 56-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of Jonathan Joss, who voiced the character John Redcorn on the popular animated 'King of the Hill' series reportedly 'immediately' confessed to the murder, according to multiple media reports. The tragic violence unfolded on June 1 at around 7 p.m. on Dorsey Drive in a San Antonio, Texas neighborhood. At the scene, local police found the 59-year-old actor near the roadway. 'The officers attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased,' police said in a statement. Joss' former neighbor, 56-year-old Sigfredo Alavarez Ceja, was detained at the crime scene, with police later saying in their report that the man 'immediately told them, 'I shot him,'' the Daily Beast reported. The police report, which was obtained by People, also detailed the timeline leading up to the deadly violence, saying that a woman had given Joss and his husband a ride to their former residence to pick up some mail. Ceja reportedly approached the couple after they arrived, parking his vehicle 'directly behind' the woman's and began arguing with the victim. In a June 2 post to Facebook, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, the actor's husband, claimed the violence was homophobia-related and that police had ignored earlier reports of threats against them. 'My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire,' Gonzales wrote. 'We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done. Throughout that time, we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.' Gonzales said that while getting their mail, the couple saw the skull and harness of one of their three dogs, all of whom died in the January fire that arson investigators are still looking into. It was while they were both overcome with grief at the site that he says Ceja began yelling 'homophobic slurs' at the pair before raising a gun and firing at them. 'Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life,' Gonzales wrote. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.' Initial statements from police claimed there was no evidence linking Joss' sexual orientation to his murder. But San Antonio Police Chief William McManus walked back that assertion Thursday, calling the earlier statement 'premature.' He confirmed that investigators are now considering whether homophobia played a role. Tributes have poured in since the actor's death. 'King of the Hill' creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson said in a statement, 'His voice will be missed… and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family.' In addition to 'King of the Hill,' Joss appeared in 'Parks and Recreation,' 'Ray Donovan,' 'Tulsa King,' and 'The Magnificent Seven.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shock update in King of the Hill star Jonathan Joss murder investigation as police backtrack on hate crime statement
Police investigating the senseless murder of King of The Hill Jonathan Joss have apologized for a previous statement denying his killing was a hate crime. Joss, 59, was shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday after a reported altercation with his neighbor Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja outside his home. Ceja was captured by law enforcement and has been booked on suspicion of murder. He was released on $200k bail this week. Joss' husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales claimed the shooting that claimed his spouse's life was carried out as part of a homophobia hate-fueled attack - although the San Antonio Police Department later issued a statement dismissing this theory. In a press conference Thursday, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus walked back the statement and said it had been issued 'way too prematurely.' He said: 'We shouldn't have done that, it was way too early to make a statement of that nature, we didn't have information to make that statement. 'We understand the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned, a lot of it has to do with that statement, we're sorry.' 'The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic and felt by the LGBTQ+ community, there's also a concern around circumstances surrounding that death and the history leading up to that.' The previous statement from a San Antonio PD spokesman had read: 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.' Chief McManus addressed the question of why Ceja had not been charged with a hate crime, saying: 'In Texas hate crimes are not separate charges, instead they are addressed through sentencing enhancements. 'We don't charge with hate crimes, we gather the facts and give those facts to the DA's office. 'A hate crime would be determined at sentencing. 'We're committed to delivering a thorough and complete investigation to file with the DA.' Referring to a fire that destroyed Joss' home in January of this year, he added: 'We're also working closely with arson investigators to understand the fire in this case 'The investigation is still active. San Antonio PD said in a statement they currently had no evidence Joss' murder was a hate crime 'We've also seen concerns about the volume of calls to Jonathan Joss' residence. 70 calls over 2 years involving neighbor disturbances 'Sometimes he was the caller and other times not.' He confirmed mental health services had made 'repeated efforts to mediate conflicts' and 'connect Joss with services he needed.' Chief McManus ended with a message to the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month, saying: 'Please know your safety and trust matter to us deeply.' New details about the run-up to the violent crime recently emerged via a police report, with a unnamed witness stating they drove Joss from Austin to his burned down San Antonio home around 7pm on June 1 to check his mail. The witness said she pulled up and parked in the driveway while she waited for Joss and another witness to check the mail. Joss' husband Gonzales has claimed he was with the actor on this trip and during the murder. Per the report, she said she saw suspect Ceja pull up in his vehicle with a passenger and stop 'directly behind her car.' She allegedly saw Joss and Ceja argue in her rear view mirror, and claimed Ceja told Joss 'he had a gun and would shoot [Joss].' She claims Ceja then shot Joss. Per the report, Joss was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.20pm and Ceja was detained by police and 'immediately told them "I shot him". His weapons were seized. The report states that '[Ceja] intentionally and knowingly discharged a weapon at [Joss] resulting in his death Joss' husband has since claimed the star's death was a homophobia-fueled murder - although in a new twist, police have dismissed this theory. A statement from a San Antonio PD spokesman read: 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.' Last Saturday, Joss — who boasts 9K social media followers — shared a video of himself in good spirits, urging fans to visit him at Tribe Comics and Games in Austin, TX for a signing. Jonathan also voiced the character Healing in Paul McComas and Holly Trasti's animated drama Unplugged alongside the late Louis Gossett Jr., the late Ed Asner, Christina Ricci and Jeri Ryan. But Joss is best known for voicing musician and healer John Redcorn, who embarked on a 14-year-long affair with anchorwoman Nancy Hicks-Gribble (Ashley Gardner), on the Fox animated sitcom from seasons 2–13. Last Friday, the charismatic actor of Native descent crashed the King of the Hill reunion at ATX TV Festival in Austin and with co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as well as actors Pamela Adlon, Lauren Tom and Toby Huss. On January 23, Jonathan suffered the loss of his three beloved dogs when his childhood home, that his father built in 1957, burned to the ground. Joss also lost his car in the blaze, but the GoFundMe organized by Logan Kostroun successfully raised $10,721 from a $15K goal. But neighbors told TMZ on Monday that his house burned down because he attempted to use a BBQ pit to heat it after the city allegedly 'shut off his power when the property was deemed unsafe and uninhabitable.' Gonzales — whom he wed on Valentine's Day — claimed he was murdered after they were 'harassed' for two years by 'openly homophobic' individuals who 'did not accept our relationship.' 'When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress,' the South Carolina native recalled on Facebook. 'While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Jonathan and I had no weapons.' He continued, 'We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.' Tristan added, 'My focus now is on protecting Jonathan's legacy and honoring the life we built together.' Jonathan is also remembered for his role as Chief Ken Hotate in five episodes of NBC's mockumentary sitcom Parks and Recreation spanning 2011–2015. Joss had small roles in TV shows like Walker Texas Ranger, Charmed, ER, Ray Donovan and Tulsa King. He also acted in films like True Grit, The Magnificent Seven, Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World and Johnson Family Vacation. Fans have since taken to social media to mourn over the loss of Joss and also expressed their condolences. One penned on X, 'Such a tremendous loss. His talent and spirit will be deeply missed,' and another wrote, 'Rest in peace. So so sad.' 'Iconic voice, such an awful way to go. RIP,' a fan shared, while one typed, 'RIP Jonathan Joss. Voice of one of the best and funniest characters in King of the Hill.' Another commented, 'RIP to a legend, I haven't watched parks and rec for a long time but I had no idea he played the Casino owner... 'Literally one of the funniest episodes and side characters. What a legend,' they continued.
