Christopher Preciado has been found guilty of capital murder in the deaths of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra, and their unborn baby.
SAN ANTONIO — Christopher Preciado has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2023 deaths of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra and their unborn baby Fabian.
It took a jury over two hours to deliberate in the case after closing arguments took place Thursday morning.
The verdict wraps up a major part of a case that has gripped the San Antonio community since the 2023 holiday season. Soto was in final days of her pregnancy when she disappeared. A CLEAR Alert was issued on Christmas Day 2023 after she did not show up for her scheduled induction. Their bodies were found with bullet wounds on Dec. 26, 2023, in a car found at a northwest-side apartment complex.
Nine days later, Christopher Preciado and his father, Ramon Preciado were booked into the Bexar County jail for the crime.
Police said at the time Christopher had planned to meet Matthew for a marijuana deal. Prosecutors alleged that Christopher planned to rob Matthew at gunpoint all along and showed evidence to support that.
What happened during the trial?
During the trial, the jury saw video of Preciado’s interview with police in 2024 when he said Matthew and Savanah were killed in the chaos of him trying to defend himself. He claimed Matthew was agitated in the incident and pointed a gun at him, which Preciado says he tried to deflect, resulting in both fatal shootings. He admitted he drove Matthew’s car from his home to a nearby apartment to try to hide the bodies.
The lead detective on the case, Det. Jeremy Goodwin testified that the evidence they found does not match his story. Additionally, a medical examiner testified that the autopsy showed their gunshot wounds were consistent with an intentional shooting.
Jurors also saw surveillance video of Ramon Preciado and Myrta Romanos jumping into their Chevy Silverado and following the victims’ car, which Christopher was driving, to the nearby apartment complex. The surveillance video showed Ramon Preciado with a towel attempting to wipe down the car. The gun used in the crime was also found to belong to Ramon’s ex-girlfriend, who testified that she left the gun with Ramon after their breakup.
A neighbor of the Preciado’s testified she found bloody cash while walking her dog outside the Preciado home on Dec. 22. A DNA expert testified that the blood was a match to Matthew Guerra.
Other notable testimony included Instagram messages that showed Christopher was in need of cash for car parts he was purchasing ahead the deaths. He told his contact who was selling the parts that he intended to come into some money the night of Dec. 21, adding to the prosecution’s narrative that he intended to rob Matthew when they planned to meet up for a marijuana deal.
The jury also heard testimony from the manager of a Cash America Pawn. She testified that a man police say was selling the car parts to Christopher came into the store on Dec. 24, 2023 to sell two gold rings. He pawned the rings for $300. Matthew Guerra’s best friend then testified that the rings belonged to Matthew.
As far as the defense, lead attorney Monica Guerrero made the argument that there was no DNA found inside the car tying Christopher to the murders. She also said there was no fingerprint evidence or gun shot residue evidence linked to Christopher. Throughout the trial, she asked various witnesses if they could say for sure that Christopher was the shooter, and none of them could. The defense did not call any of its own witnesses and rested their case as soon as the prosecution did.
What’s next in the case?
As far as Christopher’s parents, Ramon Preciado currently has a trial date set for this May. He is accused of helping Christopher hide and dispose of the bodies.
The charges against Christopher’s mother, Myrta Romanos, were dismissed in November, pending further investigation.
In addition to the criminal case, a $1 million civil lawsuit has also been filed against the three accused of involvement in the deaths.