Thread: ARREST MADE IN SGT. KENNETH VANN'S DEATH - UPDATE

Arrest made in deputy's death

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS
Updated: 5:14 a.m. Monday, June 6, 2011
Published: 8:52 p.m. Sunday, June 5, 2011

SAN ANTONIO

Arrest made in deputy's death

A man was arrested Sunday on a capital murder warrant in the May slaying of a Bexar County sheriff's deputy, authorities said.

Federal and local officials arrested Mark Anthony Gonzales at his family's mobile home 15 miles south of San Antonio about 4 p.m. Sunday, after FBI agents swarmed the property, according to a sheriff's office statement.

His wife, whose name was not released, also was taken into custody for questioning Sunday night, the statement said. Neither had been booked into the Bexar County Jail, Deputy Chief Dale Bennett said.

"Everyone is really relieved because everyone's been really tense," Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz said Sunday evening.

Gonzales' arrest came two days after sheriff's Sgt. Kenneth Vann was buried after his ambush-style slaying while he was stopped at an east San Antonio intersection May 28.

Authorities say a truck matching the description of the suspect's vehicle was found registered to Gonzales at a San Antonio body shop. Investigators suspect an automatic weapon found at the Gonzales home fired the deadly shot, according to the sheriff's office.

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/tex ... 20764.html

RELATED

Officials hunting for info in killing

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-239640.html

Arrest Made Following Funeral for Bexar County Deputy Killed in Ambush Attack

Monday, June 6th, 2011

(Bexar County, TX) -- Just days after thousands of mourners made their way to Spring Branch to pay their respects for Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Sergeant Kenneth Vann, the San Antonio Express News reports that an arrest has been made.

41-year old Mark Anthony Gonzales was arrested without incident yesterday afternoon at his home on Pleasanton Road, on San Antonio’s far south side. Responding to tips about Gonzales and his blue truck, which matched the description of the one seen leaving the scene of the ambush style attack that killed the Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy, authorities raided his mobile home, taking Gonzales into custody, charging him with capitol murder. They also say that they found an automatic weapon similar to the one believed to be used in the shooting of Sgt. Vann while he sat in his patrol car at Rigsby Avenue and Loop 410. Authorities would not speculate publicly about a motive for the killing, saying that Gonzales had been arrested previously on misdemeanor charges for driving while intoxicated and theft, but that those were not connected to Vann, and that they believe the two never met.

Sunday’s arrest came just 2 days after more than 3-thousand people gathered in Spring Branch at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at Honey Creek for Sgt. Vann’s funeral. Law enforcement officers and first responders from agencies across the state, and across the country, were on hand for the ceremony, including police and fire department representatives from New Braunfels and Comal County. The crowd of mourners couldn’t all fit inside the small church and stood outside, while a San Antonio Police helicopter flew overhead.

Vann leaves behind a wife and three children. The Express News reports that Vann was the first Bexar County deputy killed in the line of duty since 2003, and only the 17th since 1840. **Images from the San Antonio Express News

http://kgnb.am/news/arrest-made-followi ... ush-attack

$1.5 Million Bond Set For Accused Deputy's Killer

Mark Anthony Gonzales Arrested While Sleeping

David Sears, KSAT 12 News Reporter
POSTED: Sunday, June 5, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- A 41-year-old man was being held Monday in the Bexar County Jail in lieu of $1.5 million on a capital murder charge in connection with the ambush and slaying of Bexar County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Kenneth Vann.

Mark Anthony Gonzales was arrested Sunday afternoon at his home on Pleasanton Road north of Loop 1604.

Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz said his office received an anonymous tip about Gonzales. After obtaining an arrest and search warrants, a team of law enforcement officials went to the home, where Gonzales was asleep, Ortiz said.

"We broke the door down and arrested him and pulled him out of the house," Ortiz said.

Gonzales' wife and one of his children were also in the house. His wife was taken in for questioning but was not considered a suspect, Ortiz said.

While Gonzales was being led into a patrol car, he asked by KSAT-12 News about the shooting. He said, "(I don't know) what you're talking about."
Ortiz said the arrest will be a welcome relief to the community.

"Everybody was kind of tense," he said. "I think this will calm them down and they can return to their normal duties. And it should be a relief to the citizens of Bexar County that this man has been charged with the murder of Kenneth Vann."

Gonzales has been arrested in the past by Bexar County deputies, but Ortiz said he doesn't believe there was a connection between the arrests and the shooting.

Ortiz also said the pickup Gonzales was driving at the time of the shooting was at a body shop being repaired. Investigators will process the vehicle for clues.

http://www.ksat.com/news/28139365/detail.html

Is this guy an Illegal ???? Do they know anything about him ???

Originally Posted by topsecret10

Is this guy an Illegal ???? Do they know anything about him ???

More info will come out as the case goes to court.

Drug ties ruled out in killing of Texas deputy

Updated 01:12 p.m., Monday, June 6, 2011

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Authorities say they have ruled out any connections to Mexican drug traffickers in the ambush-style slaying of a South Texas sheriff's deputy at a San Antonio intersection.

Bexar (BAYR) County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz said Monday that the suspect had been drinking the day of the shooting and was on prescription medication for depression. Ortiz said Mark Anthony Gonzales had previously applied to be a law officer.

Investigators had said shortly after the May 28 slaying that they did not believe sheriff's Sgt. Kenneth Vann was specifically targeted, but that the killer may have been looking for a law enforcement officer to kill.

Gonzales was arrested on a capital murder warrant at his San Antonio-area home Sunday, eight days after the fatal shooting.

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/D ... z1OWCceiEZ

Since the shooter had previously applied to be a law officer he probably isn't an illegal alien.

Ortiz said Mark Anthony Gonzales had previously applied to be a law officer.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Since the shooter had previously applied to be a law officer he probably isn't an illegal alien.

Ortiz said Mark Anthony Gonzales had previously applied to be a law officer.

His name says he is probably not an IA too.Mark Anthony is not your normal/typical hispanic name.

Is he going for the "Mentally ill" defense?

Affidavit: Man accused of killing sergeant told a friend

By Eva Ruth Moravec
emoravec@express-news.net

Updated 01:27 p.m., Monday, June 6, 2011

An alleged confession to a friend the morning a Bexar County Sheriff's Office sergeant was ambushed and killed eventually led a multi-agency task force to make an arrest in the death of Sgt. Kenneth Vann Sunday afternoon, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Mark Anthony Gonzales, 41, was in Bexar County Jail on one count of capital murder, his bail set at $1.5 million.

The warrant affidavit doesn't mention a motive for the slaying, and officials at a press conference Monday said there didn't appear to be one. Gonzales was drunk and had taken anti-depressants at the time of the slaying, Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz said.

The document states that around 2:45 a.m. on May 28, Gonzales reportedly called his friend and said, “I killed a cop. Don't tell no one, not even your wife.â€