A man briefly stepped away from his date in Houston to shoot and kill the fake parking attendant who scammed the couple out of $40 before “nonchalantly” returning to dinner, according to court documents.
Erick Aguirre, 29, was arrested in Aransas County and accused of killing 46-year-old Elliot Nix on April 11. Court records show he was extradited to Harris County for his arraignment Thursday, where he is currently jailed on a $200,000 bond.
Charging documents said that the suspect and his date drove separately to the Rodeo Goat near downtown Houston earlier this month when Nix told them it would cost $20 each to park in the lot.
Mr. Aguirre paid the $40, but he was later informed by restaurant staff that he had been duped by Nix. The suspect’s date, Melanie Castillo, told police that Mr. Aguirre then “sprinted to his car” while she waited outside the burger joint.
According to court documents, a smoke-shop worker said that Mr. Aguirre ran to his vehicle, pulled out a pistol and then heard a gunshot when the suspect was out of his view.
The smoke-shop worker told police that he saw the suspect “nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand” and put the gun inside his vehicle before going back to the restaurant.
Nix later died at a hospital from a gunshot wound to the upper back.
Ms. Castillo told police that Mr. Aguirre returned shortly after and said he “just scared the guy” and that “everything was fine,” according to the court documents. The couple then left the Rodeo Goat because Ms. Castillo thought Mr. Aguirre looked uncomfortable.
Ms. Castillo got in touch with police when they released a photo of the couple pegging them as people of interest.
“She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew,” Rick DeToto, the woman’s attorney, told local NBC affiliate KPRC.
Mr. Aguirre is scheduled to appear in court again on June 27.
— This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.