HOUSTON – Additional details have been released in court on Wednesday about the suspect charged in connection with a deadly shooting where two men were ambushed and killed during their daily early morning walks near a southwest Houston park.
The suspect, Charles Ernest Lopez, 25, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of Natanael Reyes, 68, and Guadalupe Flores, 74.
ORIGINAL STORY: 2 retired men killed ambush-style in attack while walking trail near southwest Houston park
Lopez did not show up for his first court appearance on Tuesday following his arrest. His bond was denied by a judge due to the seriousness of the offense.
In district court on Wednesday, Lopez again did not appear, but his attorney went before the judge and read probable cause. Lopez’s bond hearing has been set for Aug. 20.
During the court hearing, it was learned that investigators found the bullet casings are connected to incidents in Harris and Brazoria counties.
KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry confirmed new details through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/Houston Field Division (ATF Houston).
In April, ATF Houston said an ATF K9 handler and his K9 “Lady” were deployed to a drive-by shooting in Houston, where the victim was shot and survived. At the scene, they recovered six fired casings.
When they were deployed to the double homicide at the park, K9 “Lady” alerted to three shell casings at that scene, which linked in NIBIN (the national ballistics database) and connected to a third incident, which we learned in court was Brazoria County.
In two of the three cases, investigators believe Lopez is connected to the April drive-by and the June park murders. Officials say he confessed.
Sheriff’s deputies said that the Brazoria County incident happened in the Pearland area on June 12 in the 10000 block of Broadway near shopping malls, restaurants, and other heavily populated businesses. Investigators said a suspect shot a gun into the air and then left.
BCSO collected shell casings and ran ballistics, which matched the same gun used in the Houston double homicide. However, they can’t confirm it’s the same suspect.
Investigators are still looking into a vehicle match through surveillance footage. No one was injured in this incident.
Background
On June 27, Houston police responded to a call at 14900 White Heather Drive about 5:45 a.m. in regard to a shooting.
Investigators learned that Reyes and Flores, both retired, were walking in the park when they were gunned down in an ambush-style attack.
Most of the shots came from behind the men, catching them off guard, and the suspect stood over them and released additional rounds of gunfire from above, according to HPD Sgt. Michael Arrington.
“They were just out here walking,” Arrington said. “None of their pockets were ruffled through, from what we can tell or look like anything was stolen from them. So, it does appear to be more targeted or an ambush-style attack.”
Police said the suspect fled in a white 4-door sedan eastbound from the location.
Investigators later identified the vehicle of interest and, on Monday, June 30, police found the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver, identified as Lopez, admitted to his role in the shooting, police said. Investigators also learned Lopez lived 8 minutes from the park where the shooting happened.
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation.
According to records, Lopez was given six months of community supervision in 2022 for a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge. Also in 2022, he had a misdemeanor discharge of a firearm in a metro area charge dismissed after completing a gun safety course, 24 hours of community service, and forfeiting the gun, records show.