Sean Paul Velasquez was 19 when he was fatally shot at a residence on Williamson Lane in Willis, Texas, on March 24, 2023. Deputies from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about 12:30 p.m., found Velasquez lying on a bed with multiple gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Velasquez had recently begun dating the ex-girlfriend of 19-year-old Joshua Escobar. Authorities believe Escobar confronted Velasquez at the residence in a jealous rage, shot him, then fled in a gray 2017 Toyota Yaris. Escobar surrendered the next evening and was initially held on a $1 million bond; a judge later reduced bond to $75,000 and released him with conditions including an ankle monitor and house arrest. Escobar removed the monitor and fled in early June 2023 but was arrested four days later in Guadalupe County with Jennifer Avila, who is described as his alleged girlfriend and a key witness. His bond was revoked and he remains in custody facing first-degree murder charges.

Velasquez’s family has organized protests and prayer marches at the San Jacinto County Courthouse, voicing anger over the bond reductions and the handling of monitored release. Did anyone in the Willis area see the gray 2017 Toyota Yaris around March 24, 2023?