Charges upgraded, 2nd suspect arrested for Arlington car dealership owner's shooting death
ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police have upgraded the charges and made a second arrest in the shooting death of an Arlington car dealership owner.
On Monday, Adel Elhindawi, the owner of Salem Autos, was shot while trying to retrieve a loaner car that had not been returned. He passed away from his injuries on Thursday.
Friday, Salem Autos in Arlington sat temporarily closed as the owner of the used car dealership, Elhindawi, was laid to rest.
Out front, the gate was shut and a small memorial is growing for the husband and father of two.
RELATED: Car dealership owner dies after being shot trying to reclaim loaner car in Arlington
Adel Elhindawi
Brian Espy, 31, was arrested in Grand Prairie on Wednesday for the shooting.
He was originally charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated robbery. Those charges have since been upgraded to capital murder.
Employees at the dealership said Espy bought a vehicle off the lot three weeks ago, but the car was having mechanical issues. While Salem Autos was working on the car, a loaner was provided.
The car was fixed and returned last week, but the loaner was never brought back to the dealership.
Elhindawi and another employee went together to retrieve the loaner. That’s when he was shot.
Quyanna Massie, who was driving the loaner car at the time of the shooting, has also been arrested and was charged with aggravated assault.
Police records show Massie was the driver suspected of helping Espy escape after Monday’s murder.
RELATED: Car dealership owner shot trying to reclaim loaner car in Arlington
"It’s so tragic. Like I said, the employees of the business were just trying to do their job," Arlington PD Officer Jesse Minton said. "He gets his car back on Saturday, and then on Monday, they still haven’t received the Jeep back. So they went, as part of their business, just to go pick this up."
Police said Elhindawi and an employee went to get the loaner vehicle back.
The employee with Elhindawi started up the Jeep and tried to exit the parking lot, when police said Espy opened fire.
Elhindawi, who was inside another vehicle, was struck in the head and crashed into a parked Cadillac.
"I went into survivor mode, we got to help him," said Ariel Oliver, who lives at the Arlington apartment complex where Elhindawi was shot.
She heard the gunfire outside her apartment, called 911, and rushed to help.
"We literally just sat there. kept talking to him," she recalled. "I didn’t know what to say other that hold on they’re coming."
Oliver jumped into action by putting the vehicle in park and applying pressuring to Elhindawi’s wounds.
"I didn’t know what I was walking up to," she recalled. "I was hesitate because a car came around and I didn’t know if they were coming back."
Oliver jumped into action by putting the vehicle in park and applying pressuring to Elhindawi’s wounds.
"I didn’t know what I was walking up to," she recalled. "I was hesitate because a car came around and I didn’t know if they were coming back."
An arrest affidavit released Friday said that’s when Espy hopped into his girlfriend’s car.
Massie is accused of blocking in the employee driving the Jeep, and then police said Espy got out and threatened him with a gun, forcibly taking back the vehicle.
He then drove off.
"In her assisting him in doing that, it’s as if she commits the crime just like him," Minton said of the charges against Massie.
"It’s just sad he was taken away from his family over something so simple," Oliver added.
Elhindawi's employees said Salem Autos doesn’t usually give out loaner vehicles, but he was doing Espy a favor.
A check of public records reveals Espy has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2010, including convictions and charges of aggravated robbery, evading arrest, fraud, and drug and alcohol violations.
"What’s so sad about this is that Mr. Elhindawi is just trying to feed his family, doing his work that day, when, for some reason, this criminal decides that he’s going to bring a gun into it and ends up killing him," Minton added.