LINCOLN, Nebraska (KOLN) – More details have emerged after police made a second arrest in connection with the murder outside a Russ’s Market in Lincoln.
Prosecutors have charged 20-year-old Kaeylab Gonzales of Denton with first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a crime, possession of a firearm by an unauthorized person and unauthorized discharge of a firearm.
Gonzales was arrested along with 20-year-old Ge’Auvieon Crayton on Wednesday in connection with the July 5 killing of 25-year-old Francisco Javier Alvis.
Police responded to a parking lot near South Coddington Avenue and West A Street at 10 p.m. A caller reported shots fired near Russ’s Market, and a second caller reported a man with gunshot wounds near South Folsom Street and West A Street.
Rescue workers found Alvis with three gunshot wounds about a mile from where the shots were reportedly fired. He was taken to Bryan West, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area and observed what led up to the shooting. According to court documents, Alvis and another man, 25-year-old Jose Reyes, were parked in the parking lot in two different pickup trucks.
Police believe the men were there to sell marijuana and were waiting for Crayton to arrive. Officers later discovered the men were transporting 9.69 pounds of marijuana in Alvis’ vehicle, according to another affidavit.
The investigation revealed that Alvis did not trust Crayton and had asked Reyes to do “security work” to ensure his safety. A silver Jeep then parked next to the other vehicles. Crayton got out of the Jeep and sat in the passenger seat of Alvis’ truck, according to the affidavit.
Crayton was observed exiting the vehicle once before returning to Alvis’ passenger seat. While Crayton and Alvis were talking, one of Alvis’ friends noticed his pickup truck parked in the parking lot as he drove by.
The friend, driving a maroon Jeep, pulled into the parking lot to visit Alvis. When he stopped, gunfire erupted inside Alvis’ vehicle. Alvis quickly opened the door and ran to the maroon Jeep, police wrote.
Authorities later discovered that two men, later identified as Gonzales and Crayton, were with Alvis in his vehicle when the shots were fired. Shell casings from a .40 caliber and a 9mm gun were also found at the scene, suggesting that two firearms had been used.
Further investigation revealed that Crayton and Gonzales had communicated with Alvis about the drug deal. Additionally, surveillance video from another location showed that Gonzales was in Crayton’s vehicle shortly before the shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, Alvis clung to his friend’s driver’s door and window before the two sped out of the parking lot. Alvis held onto the vehicle as it headed east down A Street, and police suspects Crayton and Gonzales followed them down the street.
Police later determined that the fleeing vehicle had a single bullet hole in the driver’s side door. Authorities believe someone in Crayton’s vehicle fired shots at the vehicle as Alvis and his friend fled the scene.
Alvis allegedly told his friend to stop and let him out, pleading with him to “save himself,” according to the search warrant. The friend stopped near the intersection of South Folsom and West A streets, and Alvis let him go, according to police.
According to court records, police arrested Crayton on July 6 after quickly linking him to the crime scene. Gonzales was arrested Wednesday after a warrant was executed in Lincoln.
An affidavit states that police linked Gonzales to the crime through several investigative methods. Officers reviewed messages from Crayton’s phone and spoke with several informants who identified Gonzales as one of the shooters, police wrote.
A review of Gonzales’ search history on the morning of July 6 revealed that he had been looking for rental cars, cheap airline tickets and a current list of arrest warrants, the affidavit said.
Gonzales was arraigned on the four charges Thursday afternoon. His bail was set at 10% of $5,000,000 and his next court date was scheduled for September 18.
Crayton appeared in court Thursday before Gonzales’ arraignment. He remains in custody on bail set at 10% of $5,000,000. He is due back in court on October 22.
Police say Reyes returned to Alvis’ vehicle after the shooting and took the marijuana. He was charged with trafficking in controlled substances in July. Reyes has since posted bail and will be back in court on October 1.
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