A San Antonio family seeks justice after police say a pregnant woman, her boyfriend, and their unborn child were killed in a drug deal.
SAN ANTONIO — It was a devastating crime that gripped San Antonio during the 2023 holiday season: A pregnant woman days away from giving birth, her boyfriend and their unborn child were killed in what police describe as a drug deal.
Now their families are looking to the courts for justice in the deaths of Savanah Soto, 18, Matthew Guerra, 22, and their child, a baby boy they named Fabian.
Soto was in final days of her pregnancy. 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 grisly crime. Police say it was all over a marijuana deal.
Livestreaming is not allowed by the court in this trial but KENS 5 will be providing daily live updates each day. See everything that happened in Day 1 of the trial below.
Notable trial updates:
4:20 p.m. He was also there when crime scene investigators processed the evidence on the scene and when the Medical Examiner transported the bodies. He observed crime scene investigators taking pictures and swabbing the scene. The witness is dismissed.
4:16 p.m. The officer said he was there when EMS made entry into the vehicle. After they determined the victims were deceased, the officer covered up the bodies to prevent the relatives on scene from becoming more distraught.
4:05 p.m. The next witness is another SAPD officer. He says he was called to the scene on Danny Kaye where the bodies were found. He was initially told the scene was related to the missing woman out of Leon Valley. More body camera video is shown from the chaotic scene.
3:36 p.m. The defense asks if the witness saw any signs of life and he repeated that he did not. He was asked if he was responsible for transporting the bodies to the hospital and he said he was not and he was in charge of calling someone to transport the bodies. The witness is excused.
3:30 p.m. The witness observed the woman was obviously pregnant. He reported that it was obvious from the rigor and blood pooling that there was no way for the baby to have survived without his mother’s oxygen. The witness is passed to the defense.
3:30 p.m. Witness said he was not involved in moving the bodies from the car. He said the gunshot wounds on Matthew were visible, but they could not see any gun shot wounds on the Savanah. He said rigor, which is when a body’s muscle fibers because tense after death, was observed when they tried to take vital signs.
3:27 p.m. The witness said he shattered the driver’s side window to gain access in the car. He observed Savanah’s body in the front seat with a carseat on top of her. He also observed Matthew’s body in the back. He said he observed “blood pooling” which is an indication that someone is too far gone to be brought back. They opened the doors and used monitors to check for vital signs. There were no signs of a cardiac rhythm.
3:26 p.m. He was guided to the car where they determined they needed to make entry into the car to officially confirm thier deaths. “We walked to the car and realized very fast there was nothing we could do but we had to make entry because this was a very serious call.”
3:22 p.m. The next witnes is an EMT/firefighter who responded to the Seven Oaks apartments on Danny Kaye (where the bodies were found). He said he encountered the first officer, who told him of the severity of the situation and said there obvious signs the victims were deceased.
3:19 p.m. Witness is excused.
3:18 p.m. The defense is questioning the witness, asking if he took any witness statements or gathered any evidence. He answered that he did not. He also clarified that when he arrived on scene, the crime scene was still out of control. He requested other officers as a backup.
3:15 p.m. Officer Wood assisted with control of the scene and guided EMS to the the car. EMS broke the car windows to gain access. He says he took no other actions beyond that.
3:07 p.m. The state calls SAPD officer Nathan Wood. He had also responded to the apartment on Danny Kaye where the car was found with Savanah and Matthew’s bodies.
3:03 p.m. Officer Griego was asked by the defense if he saw anyone driving the car or if he saw the car arrive. The officer responded that he did not.
3:02 p.m. Questioning of Officer Griego continues, with the officer saying after he got the scene under control, he waited for the lead detectives to show up. He said SAPD and Bexar County Constables Office assisted in the investigation. Witness is passed to the defense.
3 p.m. The body camera video shows relatives struggling with police as they try to control the scene. It also shows the officer trying to look in all the windows of the small sedan.
2:55 p.m. The jury returns to court and the body camera video is again being played. Some of the victim’s family members are emotional while the video is playing.
2:38 p.m. The jury is excused as the lawyers work out a technical glitch.
2:37p.m. Audio is played from the body camera video from the scene and you can hear people screaming hysterically.
2:33 p.m. More body camera video was shown in court of the scene. The officer said one individual tried to break the windows to check on the people inside, but the officers stopped that person because he believed the people inside were dead.
2:23 p.m. The officer said he received a phone call the next day, Dec. 26, with information that Matthew’s car had been found. He responded to the call to protect the crime scene. He said he first observed a deceased female with a carseat that was placed on top of her.
2:18 p.m. Officer Griego was also involved in the issuing of a CLEAR Alert, which is an alert for missing adults who may be in danger. He said she met the requirements for issuing the alert. That was on Christmas Day.
2:10 p.m. The next witness, Officer Andy Griego of Leon Valley was another officer who arrived at the apartment for the welfare check. He said three people were on site at the apartment, one of whom was a family member. He said the apartment was secure and nobody was inside.
2:05 p.m. The officer did add that they found high dollar items left out in the open within that apartment.
2 p.m. The next witness is called is Sgt. Trevino from Leon Valley PD. Prosecution presented body camera video of officers checking the apartment of Matthew Guerra and Savanah Soto. The officer also stated the door was disturbed, as Officer Castro had said. He said they entered the apartment with guns drawn and found the apartment looked pretty normal inside. The apartment looked pretty neat and orderly.
1:57 p.m. The jury returns from lunchbreak and court resumes.
12:16 p.m. The witness is dismissed. Court adjourns for a lunch break.
12:15 p.m. The defense is now questioning Officer Castro. He answers some questions about his experience in law enforcement. He says no one was in the apartment when he arrived. He was not assigned to investigate damage to the apartment door.
12:10 p.m. The court is shown body camera video of police arriving to check on an apartment. The door was not locked. Three officers went into the apartment, at least one with a gun drawn. The witness said there did not appear to be any signs of disturbance in the apartment.
11:57 a.m. The prosecution calls the next witness, Officer Greg Castro with the City of Leon Valley.
11:55 a.m. The witness is asked if she also lived a similar life to Savanah and Matthew. The witness invoked her fifth amendment right to not self-incriminate. The defense passed the witness and the witness was dismissed.
11:54 a.m. The defense begins questioning the witness, who said both Savanah and Matthew enjoyed the flashy lifestyle previously mentioned. Defense attorney asks if she ever bought drugs from Matthew or Savanah. Prosecution objected to the question and it was sustained.
11:45 a.m. Court takes a break
11:40 a.m. The witness said police began arriving and asked them to move back from the area. Photos of the deceased victim were shown to the witness, who confirmed that was what she saw at the scene.
11:35 a.m. The witness said she joined efforts to search for Savanah and they heard the car had been found on Dec. 26. She described arriving to the apartment complex and recognized Matthew’s car. She saw Savanah’s body in the front seat of the car with a carseat on top of her. She said Savanah appeared deceased.
11:27 a.m. The witness was at the hospital the day Savanah was due to be induced for birth. She was with Savanah’s mom, who called police to report a missing person when Savanah did not show up. The friend called and texted the couple to try to find them.
11:20 a.m. A friend of the Savanah’s is called as a witness. The friend says she was present at the baby shower. Prosecution showed a picture of Matthew with cash in his hands. Savanah’s friend said that Matthew was “flashy with his money” and had a lot of rings and bracelets.
11:03 a.m. Witness is excused. The trial takes a 15 minute break.
11 a.m. The witness said the cousin she called to ask to call the police is related by marriage to Savanah Soto. She said she recognized the car as a match to the one they were looking for in Savanah’s disappearance. She had seen a photo of the car shared on Facebook.
10:56 a.m. The witness at some point left to pick up her daughter and when she came back, many police officers had gotten there. She said her friend who originally found the car disappeared due to “immigration issues.” Witness is passed to defense.
10:54 a.m. The witness said she and her friend got closer to the car and there appeared to be a dead woman in the car. She said they also saw a carseat in the car. The witness called her cousin to call the police. Photos of the scene were entered into the record.
10:45 a.m. The first witness is called, who has a friend who lived at the apartment complex where the car was found. The friend called her that day to come over. The witness pointed on a map to where the car was found within the complex.
Take a look at the recap of the opening statements here:
10:42 a.m. Esparza said the jury will hear about an attempt to conceal the vehicle, which may have involved Christopher’s father Ramon Preciado. He appealed to the jury to understand that Christopher was young and may have panicked in the chaos. He said the jury will hear evidence that will cause a strong reaction but the law requires jury’s to separate emotions.
10:40 a.m. Defense attorney Joseph A. Esparza begins opening remarks. He says there is no blood or DNA evidence to implicate Christopher. He also said there is no fingerprint evidence or gunshot resident evidence. He added his client gave a statement to police but did not confess to a crime.
10:35 a.m.: Alban said there was nothing that justified taking out a gun and taking out an entire family in less than 30 seconds.
10:30 a.m. Surveillance video and other leads led investigators to Christopher Preciado’s front door. Alban said Christopher and Matthew knew each other and they were meeting for a marijuana transaction. Within moments, Alban says Christopher shot them in the side and back of the head.
10:25 a.m. Their family arrived at the hospital for the birth of the baby on the day Savanah was set to be induced, but they never showed up. A three-day search ensued, ending on Dec. 26 2023 when their bodies were found in Matthew’s car with bullet wounds. The car was covered in a scrap pile. Paramedics broke into the car and confirmed they had been dead for a whlie.
10:23 a.m. Prosecutor Melissa Alban begins opening statements by saying Savanah and Mtthew were not perfect, but were excited to welcome their baby. She said they may have made choices we do not understand but the “penalty should not be death.” She said the couple and their unborn baby were executed by Christopher Preciado.
10:21 a.m. Jury arrives in courtroom. A prosecutor read the indictment and court accepted it and allowed the trial to proceed.
10:20 a.m. In the packed courtroom, bailffs reminded the gallery to follow the rules including no phones, no distractions, and no outbursts. They say anyone who violates the rules will be asked to leave the courtroom.
10:15 a.m. Both sides are at the bench conferring with Judge Jennifer Pena on procedural matters. The jury has not been brought into the courtroom yet.
10 a.m. Trial for Christopher Preciado begins in the 290th District Court with Judge Jennifer Pena presiding.
9:45 a.m. Two defense attorneys are representing Preciado, Monica Guerrero and Joseph A. Esparza. The prosecuting attorneys include Melissa Alban, First-Chair Prosecutor, and Ross Lewis, Second-Chair Prosecutor
9 a.m. Friends and family as well as lawyers for both sides begin arriving in the courtroom.