Latest news with #WilliamMcManus
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Police now say they are investigating shooting of actor Jonathan Joss as possible hate crime
Investigators are looking into whether the sexual orientation of King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss played a role in his shooting death in Texas, authorities said Thursday, walking back a previous statement about the potential motive. Joss' husband has claimed the person who killed the actor yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire outside his home in San Antonio on Sunday night. A day after the shooting, San Antonio police issued a statement saying they had found 'no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation'. But during a news conference on Thursday William McManus, the San Antonio police chief, said the statement was 'premature' and that whether Joss' sexual orientation played a role in the shooting 'is part of the investigation'. 'I will own that and simply say again that we simply shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued,' McManus said. The police chief said many in the LGBTQ+ community 'are feeling anxious and concerned' after Joss' shooting and that 'a lot of it has to do with that premature statement'. 'The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community,' McManus said. Texas does not have separate hate crimes charges. But if homophobia is found to have been a motive in the shooting, that could result in a harsher sentence at trial under the state's hate crimes law. 'We gather the facts, and we give those facts to the district attorney's office. And then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing,' McManus said. The actor's home burned down in January. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has said that they were checking mail there Sunday when a man approached them, pulled out a gun and opened fire. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 'openly homophobic'. Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who is a neighbor of Joss, is charged with murder in the shooting. Ceja Alvarez has been released on a $200,000 bond. Ceja Alvarez's attorney, Alfonso Otero, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday. McManus said police had been called to Joss' home and his neighborhood about 70 times over the past two years related to 'neighborhood type disturbances'. 'Sometimes (Joss) was the caller. Other times, the neighbors were calling on him,' McManus said. The San Antonio police department's mental health unit as well as a unit known as SAFFE that works with residents to help prevent crime 'had extensive engagements with Mr Joss, making repeated efforts to mediate conflicts and connect him with services that he may have needed', McManus said. The January fire at Joss' home is still being reviewed by arson investigators, McManus said. Joss lost all his belongings in the blaze and his three dogs were killed. Actors who worked with Joss, along with friends and fans have honored Joss' memory with tributes. 'His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family,' the show's creators and producers – Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson – said in a statement on the animated series' Instagram page.
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Texas Woman Bought Guns for Son Who Was Planning School Shooting, Police Say
A woman in Texas has been charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism after she purchased guns and tactical gear for her 13-year-old son who had repeatedly expressed interest in committing a school shooting, according to the San Antonio police and court documents. Ashley Pardo, 33, who was arrested on Monday, was 'not concerned' with her son's behavior, the police said, and purchased the weapons for the boy as a reward for babysitting his younger siblings. On Monday, the boy went to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio after telling his grandmother that he was 'going to be famous,' according to an arrest affidavit. He left after briefly appearing at the school. The boy was later detained off campus, according to a letter to families from the school's principal, Felismina Martinez, that was posted on Facebook. The boy faces terrorism and weapons charges, the police said. The San Antonio police chief, William McManus, said the charges against the boy and his mother were based on 'the simple fact that the young man was apparently planning some act of violence based on the things that we found out he was doing, and the mother was assisting him.' He said at a news conference on Thursday that Ms. Pardo appeared to be 'unconcerned' with her son's behavior. It was the first time the authorities have charged someone in Bexar County, where San Antonio is the county seat, with terrorism since the charge was created under a 2023 state law, Chief McManus said. A lawyer for Ms. Pardo could not be reached on Thursday. The boy, who was not named in court documents, began exhibiting concerning behavior in January, according to the affidavit. School officials found a hand-drawn map of the school, labeled a 'suicide route,' with a rifle illustrated on the paper, the documents say, and the child told officials that he was fascinated with past mass shooters. In April, the boy was suspended after using a school-issued computer to research the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed more than 50 people in 2019, according to the affidavit. The gunman in New Zealand had expressed extreme far-right and white supremacist views. On the day he was suspended, the boy attempted to take his own life with a straight razor, significantly injuring himself and requiring dozens of stitches, the affidavit said. After he was briefly placed in an alternative school, he returned early this month to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School, according to the affidavit. Not long after, the boy's grandmother contacted the police after he told her that his mother, Ms. Pardo, had taken him to a surplus store and bought him guns, ammunition and tactical gear. The grandmother had also discovered a homemade explosive device in the boy's room as well as gun magazines loaded with ammunition, according to the affidavit. According to police documents, the explosive device had the name of the gunman who committed the Christchurch shooting written on it, in addition to white supremacist symbols and references. On Monday, the boy arrived briefly at school wearing a mask, tactical pants and a camouflage jacket, the affidavit said. According to Ms. Pardo's arrest documents, she had been informed of her son's drawings and violent ideations, but was 'dismissive' with law enforcement, child protective services and school officials. Ms. Pardo was in custody on Thursday morning ahead of her release on $75,000 bond. She is due back in court in San Antonio on July 17.
Axios
21-02-2025
- Axios
Violent crime, homicides drop in San Antonio in 2024
Homicides in San Antonio continued to decline in 2024, data shows. The big picture: Much like other large cities, San Antonio is experiencing a decrease in violence after sharp increases during the pandemic. Yes, but: While homicides and other violent crimes dropped, categories such as vandalism rose. The latest: The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) this month compiled data suggesting the nationwide COVID-era crime wave nearly evaporated during former President Biden's final year in office. By the numbers: San Antonio police reported 127 homicides in 2024, down nearly 23% from 164 in 2023. Robberies in San Antonio fell 10.5% in the same timeframe. Aggravated assaults dropped nearly 16% and the number of reported rapes decreased by nearly 20%. Zoom in: San Antonio police chief William McManus presented the crime data to a City Council committee this week. Prostitution-related crimes saw the biggest increase, rising nearly 42%. Animal cruelty and drug-related crimes also climbed, rising nearly 10% and 6%, respectively. Property crimes were largely down, with vandalism being the exception. Zoom out: Nationwide, homicides fell 16% in 2024 from the previous year. Many cities had significantly larger declines in homicides. They dropped 35% in Boston and New Orleans; 26% in Cleveland and Dallas; 34% in Philadelphia; and 32% in Washington, D.C.
