Murder suspect struck man in the head with a hammer before shooting him, Arlington police say
ARLINGTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Arlington police have arrested a suspect in connection to the death of 24-year-old Benjamin Mancera last week.
At 11:50 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, police were sent to a shooting in the 1800 block of E. Mitchell Street.
When officers arrived, they found Mancera lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was subsequently taken to Medical City Arlington in critical condition, but ultimately died from his injuries the following day.
During their investigation, police learned Mancera and a neighbor of his—later identified as 18-year-old Oscar Gavia—got into a "mutual combat fight" in the front yard of a residence before Gavia left the scene.
According to his arrest warrant, Gavia returned just minutes later along with several other individuals and another fight ensued. Police said Mancera did not get along with his neighbors due to a romantic relationship he had with one of the residents.
During the second fight, a witness stated seeing Gavia strike Mancera in the back of his head and neck area with a hammer before pulling a firearm from his waistband and shooting. He and the other individuals involved were then reported fleeing the scene.
Gavia was located on Sept. 26 in Arlington and has since been booked into Tarrant County Jail. Still, detectives are continuing their investigation surrounding those who were present.