Latest news with #deGonzales
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Police Chief Regrets Saying There Was No Evidence Jonathan Joss' Death Was Hate Crime
The San Antonio Police Department is walking back statements made while investigating the death of actor Jonathan Joss, noting that it had been premature to say there was 'no evidence' the shooting was a hate crime. Joss, known for his roles on 'King of the Hill' and 'Parks and Recreation,' was shot and killed during an encounter with a former neighbor on Sunday night. The admission from police comes after scrutinization for their handling of the case. They had been accused of ignoring long-standing threats of violence that Joss and his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said they had faced. The shooting, according to a Facebook post from de Gonzales, followed years of harassment and took place after a man — identified by police as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja — hurled 'violent homophobic slurs' at the couple. In a Monday statement on X, San Antonio police pushed back on de Gonzales' claims. 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation,' the department wrote. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus admitted in a Thursday press conference, however, that the department's prior statement was 'way, way, way premature.' 'Shouldn't have done it, it was way too soon before we had any real information,' he told reporters in a press briefing. 'It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.' McManus said officers were continuing their investigation and looking into if Joss' sexual orientation played a role in the attack. He also explained that hate crimes are not treated as separate charges in Texas and are 'enhancements' on an existing charge that would be added during the sentencing process. 'We don't charge with hate crimes, 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. Joss was shot while he and de Gonzales were returning to their former neighborhood to pick up mail, according to de Gonzales' statement on Facebook. The two visited the site of their old home, which had burned down, and were crying in response to seeing a dog's skull, believed to be one of their pets, 'placed in clear view,' he said. As they were crying, their former neighbor, Ceja, allegedly confronted them, yelled homophobic slurs and pulled out his gun, fatally shooting Joss. Ceja has reportedly confessed to police, stating after the incident, 'I shot him.' Joss' death followed years of threats from Ceja and other neighbors, says de Gonzales, who noted that the couple was 'harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship.' McManus said police were also investigating the fire that burned down Joss' home, a blaze the actor had previously accused Ceja of starting. 'People in the area… repeatedly told us they would set it on fire,' de Gonzales wrote. 'We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.' McManus noted that police had a record of conflict between Joss and his neighbors and that they had received 70 calls over the last two years about related disturbances. 'Sometimes [Joss] was the caller, other times the neighbors were calling on him,' McManus said, adding that police repeatedly mediated conflicts between parties in the area. Joss was the longtime voice of John Redcorn in 'King of the Hill,' and was also known for his role as Chief Ken Hotate on 'Parks and Recreation.' The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights advocacy group, called on Tuesday for a 'complete investigation' of Joss' death. 'We know the heaviness and fear that comes with seeing reports of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in your social media feeds. We feel it too,' the group wrote in a Blue Sky post.
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Actor Jonathan Joss fatally shot outside his home
Jonathan Joss (pic), a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series King Of The Hill , was fatally shot near his Texas home, authorities said Monday. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio about 7pm Sunday on a shooting in progress call. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased,' San Antonio police said in a statement. Joss' death was confirmed by his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales. "He was murdered,' de Gonzales told The Associated Press in a text. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In a statement, de Gonzales said that before the shooting, he and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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,' de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Police said their investigation was ongoing and did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Ceja, who was being held in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular King Of The Hill animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show Parks And Recreation , playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series Tulsa King in 2022. A GoFundMe page had been set up in January for Joss after the house fire. According to the page, Joss had lost all of his belongings in the fire, including his vehicle. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 80 miles (130km) northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the King Of The Hill revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit King Of The Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show,' Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss's husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. "To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family,' de Gonzales said. – AP
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
'King Of The Hill' voice actor Jonathan Joss fatally shot outside his Texas home
HOUSTON, June 3, (AP): Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series "King of the Hill,' was fatally shot near his Texas home, authorities said Monday. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio about 7 p.m. Sunday on a shooting in progress call. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased,' San Antonio police said in a statement. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, confirmed the actor's death to The Associated Press in a text. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In an email, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it "openly homophobic.' Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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,' de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Ceja, who was being held in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. In a statement, San Antonio police said its investigation "has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation." "We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular "King of the Hill' animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show "Parks and Recreation,' playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series "Tulsa King' in 2022. A GoFundMe page had been set up in January for Joss after the house fire. According to the page, Joss had lost all of his belongings in the fire, including his vehicle. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the "King of the Hill' revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit 'King of the Hill' again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show,' Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans.
3 days ago
- Entertainment
'King of the Hill' voice actor Jonathan Joss fatally shot outside his Texas home
HOUSTON -- Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series 'King of the Hill,' was fatally shot near his Texas home, authorities said Monday. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio about 7 p.m. Sunday on a shooting in progress call. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. 'The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased,' San Antonio police said in a statement. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, confirmed the actor's death to The Associated Press in a text. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In an email, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 'openly homophobic.' Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. 'Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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,' de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Ceja, who was being held in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. In a statement, San Antonio police said its investigation 'has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation." 'We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular 'King of the Hill' animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show 'Parks and Recreation,' playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series 'Tulsa King' in 2022. A GoFundMe page had been set up in January for Joss after the house fire. According to the page, Joss had lost all of his belongings in the fire, including his vehicle. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the 'King of the Hill' revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. 'The fans get to revisit 'King of the Hill' again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show,' Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. 'To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family,' de Gonzales said.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss shot dead
Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series King of the Hill, has been shot dead near his Texas home. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio on Sunday night and found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased," San Antonio police said in a statement. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In a post on X, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. San Antonio police said its investigation "has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation". "We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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," de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular King of the Hill animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show Parks and Recreation, playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series Tulsa King in 2022. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 130km northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the King of the Hill revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit King of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. "To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family," de Gonzales said. Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series King of the Hill, has been shot dead near his Texas home. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio on Sunday night and found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased," San Antonio police said in a statement. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In a post on X, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. San Antonio police said its investigation "has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation". "We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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," de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular King of the Hill animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show Parks and Recreation, playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series Tulsa King in 2022. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 130km northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the King of the Hill revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit King of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. "To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family," de Gonzales said. Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series King of the Hill, has been shot dead near his Texas home. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio on Sunday night and found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased," San Antonio police said in a statement. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In a post on X, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. San Antonio police said its investigation "has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation". "We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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," de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular King of the Hill animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show Parks and Recreation, playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series Tulsa King in 2022. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 130km northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the King of the Hill revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit King of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. "To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family," de Gonzales said. Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series King of the Hill, has been shot dead near his Texas home. Police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio on Sunday night and found the wounded 59-year-old near the street. "The officers attempted life saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased," San Antonio police said in a statement. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine's Day. In a post on X, San Antonio police did not immediately provide any information on what prompted the shooting. San Antonio police said its investigation "has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation". "We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," police said. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," de Gonzales said. Before the shooting, de Gonzales and Joss were checking mail at Joss' home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said. "Jonathan and I had no weapons. 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," de Gonzales said in a statement. After the shooting, authorities arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss' death. Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular King of the Hill animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show Parks and Recreation, playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series Tulsa King in 2022. Before he was fatally shot, Joss had been in Austin, located about 130km northeast of San Antonio, for events related to a sneak peak of the King of the Hill revival. On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. "The fans get to revisit King of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival. Joss' husband said Joss was grateful for his fans. "To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family," de Gonzales said.
