A complex investigation into a shooting at a Garland Motel 6 has resulted in the arrest of three men on murder and robbery charges following a tragic encounter that police believe stemmed from a series of targeted robberies using online escort ads as bait.
On June 20, 2025, at around 5:19 a.m., Garland Police responded to a shooting at Motel 6, which is located in the 1200 block of LBJ Freeway. Officers came to find a man dressed as a security guard lying on the ground in front of room 139 with gunshot wounds to his neck. Officers performed CPR until EMS came and took him to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where he was declared dead.
The victim was Santiago Lopez Morales, a 48-year-old man from Las Vegas, Nevada. According to authorities, Morales was a licensed security officer who was dressed in a tactical vest with “Security” printed across the front and back, a duty belt, a handgun, and other typical law enforcement gear at the time of the incident.
Surveillance Video and Timeline of Shooting
Detective John Guthrie, the main homicide investigator, examined many video camera viewpoints from Motel 6. Based on his report:
At 4:21 a.m., a maroon Dodge pickup backed into a parking spot in front of room 137. Morales and four companions arrived in this vehicle:
- Yordy Rodriguez-Aldana, 29
- Yurisander Ortega, 40
- Yanelis Alvarez-Gonzalez, 36
- Lisset Figueredo, 27
- At 4:47 a.m., a maroon Toyota sedan entered and parked on the east side of the complex.
- At 4:54 a.m., a gray Acura backed into a space at the Denny’s restaurant next door.
- At 5:07 a.m., a Hispanic male wearing a dark t-shirt, dark shorts, and black and white shoes exited the Toyota and walked toward room 137 while using his phone.
- At 5:13 a.m., Morales exited the Dodge wearing his full uniform and approached the male near room 137 while holding a firearm. A struggle ensued, and two additional males exited the Dodge pickup to assist Morales.
At the same moment, a second Hispanic male exited the Acura, wearing a dark shirt and light-colored slacks with white tennis shoes, and approached the fight with a gun pulled. Surveillance footage showed a muzzle flash, and Morales dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely.
The two men fled the scene in an Acura, followed by a Toyota. Meanwhile, Morales stayed on the ground while others in the Dodge pickup contacted 911. The first officer came at 5:19 a.m. and started administering first aid.
Connection to Earlier Robbery at Deluxe Inn
Shortly before the Motel 6 shooting, Garland officers responded to an aggravated robbery at the Deluxe Inn, 3635 Leon Road. Surveillance footage from the Deluxe Inn revealed the identical vehicles and suspects seen at Motel 6. According to the woman, two Hispanic males pushed their way into her room, held a gun at her head, forced her into the toilet, fondled her, and stole $160 in cash, a $500 gold medallion, her jewelry, and ID. The suspects spoke Spanish with a Venezuelan accent.
Surveillance timestamps indicated:
- The same Acura and Toyota arrived at the Deluxe Inn around 2:20 a.m.
- The same suspects exited the vehicles and committed the robbery
- They then left in the same vehicles observed during the later shooting
Escort Setup and Link to Victim
During the investigation, police took phones from all four witnesses who had arrived with Morales. Text messages on Lisset Figueredo’s phone revealed that she had scheduled a rendezvous at the Studio 6 Motel, near the later shooting location, to offer sexual services for money. Surveillance video indicated that one of the suspects entered room 125 at approximately 1:33 a.m., stayed briefly, and then left, which was consistent with the robbery at the Deluxe Inn.
According to text records, Morales began communicating with the same phone number as the suspects earlier in the night. According to texts on his phone, he posed as an escort, set up a $300 meeting at Motel 6, and supplied the suspects room number, 137, as the location.
The suspects messaged Morales at 5:04 a.m., saying they had arrived and sending a photo of the Motel 6 building to confirm their presence. Morales was fatally shot minutes later.
One of Morales’ phone contacts had been saved with the name “Estafador,” which is Spanish for “swindler.”
Suspect Identification and Arrests
Investigators recognized the gray Acura by its paper tag, “1P7783T.” An inquiry revealed that the car was stopped by Richardson Police on June 12, 2025, and the driver was identified as:
Yosguar Aponte-Jimenez, aged 20
- Charged with Capital Murder by Terror Threat
- Held on $1,500,000 bond
Additional evidence revealed that Aponte-Jimenez pawned stolen jewelry on June 24, 2025, at two pawn shops in Austin. Surveillance video confirmed that he was joined by the two other individuals charged in the case:
Jesus Bellorin-Guzman, aged 23
- Charged with Aggravated Robbery and Capital Murder by Terror Threat
- Held on $2,250,000 bond
Jose Trivino-Cruz, aged 35
- Charged with Aggravated Robbery, Capital Murder by Terror Threat, and Indecent Assault
- Held on $3,255,000 bond
Authorities found all three males in the United States illegally and placed them in the Dallas County Jail.
Conclusion
According to authorities, Morales and his companions appear to have manufactured a confrontation with the criminals who previously robbed and assaulted Lisset Figueredo, potentially with the intention of recovering stolen stuff or confronting them. During the confrontation, one of the suspects fatally shot Morales.
The incident is part of a larger investigation into orchestrated robberies in which suspects target escorts using online platforms like MegaPersonals, schedule appointments, and then rob victims at gunpoint.
The probe is still active and ongoing.
