Group was 'looking for people to rob' before deadly Victory Park shooting, documents say
DALLAS - Two more people have been charged with capital murder in connection to a deadly shooting near the American Airlines Center in Victory Park over a cellphone.
Police are still looking for a fifth suspect.
Police say a group of men and girls were actively looking for people to rob in the Victory Park neighborhood near Downtown Dallas.
Isaiah Simmons, 18, was arrested last week, and Christopher Gaines, 19, of Lewisville was arrested on Tuesday. Both are charged in the killing of 18-year-old Jake Reynosa.
A 15-year-old and 16-year-old girl had previously been arrested. Their names have not been released due to their ages.
According to police, Simmons, Gaines and a group of people were driving a vehicle they stole in a previous robbery during the early morning hours of July 14.
The group had unsuccessfully tried to rob someone else and then rolled upon a group of people near the AAC that included Reynosa, according to the affidavit.
Police say the group sent the two teenage girls, who were with them to distract Reynosa and his group.
Two girls got out of the car and started talking to Reynosa’s group, asking for their phones so they could exchange Instagrams.
Police say that’s when Simmons and Gaines got out of the car and ran up on Reynosa. He tried to run away, but police say Simmons shot Reynosa in the back. Surveillance video captured the crime.
Witnesses say Gaines took Reynosa's phone and ran back to the car.
After a short chase with police, the stolen car stopped, and the five suspects ran off.
One of the girls was arrested at the scene. The other girl turned herself in to police the next day.
Russell Wilson is a former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney not connected to this case. He provided his take on the two teenage girls who allegedly admitted to police they were trying to rob people. They are also charged with capital murder.
"They’ll receive a lot of protections of the juvenile system," he said. "For example, their names won’t be disclosed, and the punishment that they ultimately face is significantly less than those who are adults."
According to police, Simmons — who pulled the trigger — admitted to his family he was trying to rob people. His family took him to interview with police this past weekend before he was charged.
FOX 4 spoke with a family member of Reynosa. That family member says he was in Dallas hanging out with friends.
According to the affidavit, Dallas police are still searching for a fifth suspect who was the getaway driver.
Gaines’ bond was set at $2 million while Simmons’ bond is set at $1 million.
It’s unclear why Simmons, the accused shooter, has a lower bond amount.