Dallas man accused of killing neighbor during fight over loud music
DALLAS - A Dallas man is in jail and charged with murdering his next-door neighbor during a fight over loud music.
Police say 54-year-old Lonnie Holcombe first fired a BB gun at his neighbor's truck.
Things escalated into a full-blown fight, and police say Holcombe pulled out a handgun and shot his neighbor in the chest.
The 54-year-old suspect remains in the Dallas County jail.
The suspect told police during an interview the family next door often played loud music, and "they were interfering with his life." But the neighboring family says they’ve been living in fear for the last year.
Carlos Gonzalez’s daughter, Iveth, is still barely able to describe the moment her father, 49-year-old Carlos Gonzalez, was murdered right in front of her.
Dallas police say Gonzalez was shot and killed by his neighbor following a fight over loud music.
Yulma Favela translated for Gonzalez’s daughter.
"He was he was a very good man," she said.
Favela says Saturday night started out as a birthday party for Gonzalez’s 6-year-old grandchild. The party kept going once the children were put to bed.
According to an arrest affidavit, just after 1 a.m., Gonzalez’s son pulled up to the house in his pickup truck with friends, playing loud music.
Police say Holcombe was armed with a BB gun at the time and fired multiple BBs at the truck. One of them struck Gonzalez’s son.
Tuesday, you can still see the damage on the truck.
Gonzalez’s son and his friends went next door to confront Holcombe, and then an argument began which turned physical.
"Everyone said, ‘What is the problem? What do you need what do you want us to do? The music is not loud anymore,’" Favela said.
At one point, police say several people were attacking Holcombe. Police say Gonzalez was on top of Holcombe when Holcombe pulled out a handgun and shot Gonzalez in the chest.
"He was everything. He was everything. Whatever they needed, he was there," Favela said.
During a police interview, Holcombe told investigators the Gonzalez family "often plays loud music interfering with his life". The 54-year-old was booked into jail on a murder charge.
Gonzalez’s children tell FOX 4 they’ve been living in fear.
They showed a picture of a different truck being shot by a BB gun outside their home.
The Gonzalez family says Holcombe would harass and threaten them.
"He actually told them, ‘You Mexicans shouldn’t be here. You Mexicans shouldn’t be here. You need to go back to place,’" Favela said.
Gonzalez leaves behind a wife of 27 years, three children and several grandchildren. The children say they plan to move after burying their father.