21-year-old in jail after shooting North Texas gas station clerks, stealing lotto tickets for apartment money
NORTH TEXAS – A 21-year-old is in jail after targeting gas station clerks in a series of shootings and stealing lottery tickets and cigars, Mesquite police say.
The first shooting happened around 11 p.m. on June 20 at a Jaxx Fuel station located at the corner of West Bruton Road and Rodeo Center Boulevard in Mesquite.
According to an arrest affidavit, 21-year-old Davonta Mathis walked into the gas station with a hoodie and mask on, quickly walked up to the cashier's desk and fired a handgun, striking 60-year-old Muhammad Hussain.
After shooting the clerk, Mathis ran to a lottery ticket booth and grabbed a handful of tickets before running out of the store, according to police.
When officers arrived at the scene, Hussain was lying in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. The suspected gunman was not there.
Hussain was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
Video from the business showed the suspect's vehicle driving off. Around two hours later, a Mesquite police officer saw the vehicle and attempted to pull the suspect over, leading to a brief chase. The suspect was able to get away.
Mesquite police say they reached out to the Texas State Lottery, who said some of the stolen lottery tickets were cashed early the following morning in Hillsboro, for a total of $95.
Police say the shell casings recovered from the scene were linked back to a robbery in Dallas on June 17. At that robbery, Mathis stole a vehicle, shot the owner of the vehicle and fled. That vehicle was later located in Austin.
On June 22, Dallas police responded to a shooting call at the Fox Fuel station, located on Lake June Road near Holcomb Road in Pleasant Grove. The suspect, who was wearing the same clothes as in the Mesquite shooting, entered the store, shot the clerk and stole Swisher Sweets cigarillos, according to Mesquite police.
About 20 minutes later, a Mesquite police officer on traffic patrol saw the truck that matched the one Mathis allegedly stole. The officer attempted to pull the truck over, but Mathis fled, leading to a chase.
After the chase, Mathis was arrested and charged with evading arrest and with capital murder.
Under questioning, police say Mathis admitted to all of the crimes he was accused of. Mathis also said he shot Hussain because he was in front of the register and that he didn't want him to run out and call police.
Mathis admitted to shooting the clerk at the Fox Fuel station because they didn't have lottery tickets and left after stealing cigars.
Mathis said he came to the Dallas area to commit the crimes because "the stores around here have less people" and he felt like it would be easier to commit the robberies, the affidavit says. He said he didn't commit these crimes in Hillsboro, where he lived, because he "keeps the peace in his town."
Mathis also said he had hoped to steal enough lottery tickets to get enough money for an apartment, according to police.
Mathis is in the Dallas County Jail on a $12.5 million bond, charged with five felonies including capital murder and murder.