Arrests made in slaying of lawyer gunned down at shopping mall
At least two suspects have reportedly been charged in the slaying of a Mexican lawyer gunned down last year at a Texas shopping mall.
Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda, 57, was indicted in July in federal court in Dallas for allegedly stalking the victim, Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa, who was in his mid-40s, according to the Dallas Morning News. Records are sealed concerning the arrest of a second suspect by the feds.
And two men appeared in federal court in McAllen on Monday, charged with crossing into the U.S. to Texas with the intent to commit murder, Breitbart News reports. The suspects are Jesus Ledezma (it appears that he is a different man with a similar name to Ledezma-Cepeda; NBC DFW reports that Jesus Ledezma is the son of the other man) and Jose Cepeda, 58. NBC DFW first reported the arrests, relying on anonymous sources.
Guerrero Chapa is described in the articles as a Mexican attorney living in Southlake, Texas, who represented the jailed leader of a Mexican cartel. His former client is serving a 25-year federal prison term in a drug trafficking and money laundering case.
The victim and his wife were returning to their vehicle in the parking lot of the Southlake Town Square mall when he was shot to death by a masked gunman. Police Chief Steve Mylett said at the time that the motive for the slaying was unknown but circumstances suggested it was a professional job by organized criminals, WFAA reported.
Related coverage:
Dallas Morning News (2013): “Man gunned down in Southlake has ties to Mexican cartel, investigator says”
Dallas Morning News (2013): “Attorney’s killing in Southlake was probably over money, investigator says”
NBC DFW (2013): “Slain Drug Cartel Lawyer Was U.S. Informant”
NBC DFW: “Questions Remain a Year After Cartel Lawyer Shot Down in Southlake Town Square”
Updated on Sept. 9 to correct a reference to Texas.
Correction
Updated on Sept. 9 to correct a reference to Texas.
