The family of Juan Carlos Gomez is pleading for justice after his 2018 murder.
It was supposed to be a quick trip. Just a bag of ice from the Minimax convenience store— two minutes, in and out. But 32-year-old Juan Carlos Gomez never made it back.
“We’ve got him on video going into the store buying ice. He didn’t interact with anyone. We didn’t see him have a disturbance, talk to anybody. He just purchased the ice and left,” said Det. Greg Pasak with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO).
On July 20, 2018, Gomez left the store to go back to his house in Thunderbird Village on FM 969 in Travis County. But just after 8 p.m., his white Dodge truck only made it to the entrance of the mobile home park. His vehicle was still running and all of the doors were closed.
“I believe he stopped and got out to talk to somebody,” Pasak said.
Witnesses said they heard a single gunshot and saw a white or gray-colored car similar to a Buick Century fleeing the scene.
“No motive has been ruled out in this case, but I kind of believe this was an act of road rage,” said Pasak.
“He was a very slow and cautious driver. He always drove the speed limit and never honked,” Yesmi Anzora -Juan Carlos’ common law wife- said in Spanish.
Anzora and the detective may be onto something.
This picture on Google images shows FM 969 back in 2018, which was under construction at the time. See all the cones. The inside lanes were shut down in both directions, leaving only the outside lanes open to traffic.
“It’s my belief that when he pulled out of the store there was someone behind him and being under construction they couldn’t pass. I think they were very irritated, maybe blowing the horn at him, or maybe they yelled at him or pulled in behind him when he pulled into Thunderbird Village,” Pasak suspected. “So he got out of his truck to maybe ask him what’s going on or why are you honking at me? And that’s when he was shot.”
Anzora says Gomez was a good person, a hardworking man and a great father to their son.
“People talk, so somebody knows that somebody did this,” said Pasak.
Gomez’ family is urging anyone with information to come forward, give police a call and speak up.
“You left a son without a father, you left a mother heartbroken, you left a family destroyed. If anyone saw something, something can still be done. And if you were the one who did it, come forward. I forgive you,” Anzora said.
If you have any information on this case, as insignificant as you may think, be sure to call the TCSO tip line at 512-854-1444.