Investigators with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office have arrested a man in connection with two murders that took place this week on the county's south side.
Michael Morales, 36, was taken into custody Tuesday night. According to Sheriff Javier Salazar, the incidents stemmed from a drug debt.
Salazar said Morales showed up to a residence to confront a man over money owed for marijuana. That confrontation led to an argument that turned very violent, the sheriff said.
"Various weapons used by both parties," Salazar told reporters as he described the fight. Appliances were knocked over and water pipes dislodged during the brawl, the sheriff said.
The two men ended up outside the residence, at which point the suspect allegedly took out a screwdriver and stabbed the victim, identified as 37-year-old Felix Pacheco, several times. He then fled the residence.
The sheriff said Morales eventually returned to his home, at which point he called authorities to report he'd been injured. EMS crews arrived at the scene and treated Morales.
Deputies, meanwhile, were called to the scene of the homicide after a 6-year-old boy discovered the dead body. During the course of investigating the incident, a call came for a deadly shooting at Morales' residence.
Sheriff Salazar said a witness told authorities that Morales and his common-law wife, identified as 45-year-old Mary Sanchez, got into an argument after Morales told her about the deadly argument. When that confrontation became physical, Morales then allegedly retrieved a high-powered rifle and shot Sanchez at least once in the upper body, killing her.
According to the sheriff, Morales then fled that location in a pickup truck. Deputies were able to identify the truck several hours later and arrested the suspect.
Salazar said Morales admitted to both murders to investigators after being brought into custody.
www.kens5.com
