A 35-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison for an ambush shooting that killed a man two years ago at a central Lubbock motel.
Tony Thomas, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since April 24, 2024, appeared in court with his attorney, Cynthia Mendoza, and pleaded guilty to a count of murder, which carries a punishment of five years to life in prison.
However, Thomas faced an enhanced punishment of 25 years to life in prison for two prior felony convictions and was sentenced to 30 years in prison as part of a plea deal with the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office.
Thomas is the second defendant sentenced in the April 13, 2024, shooting death of 34-year-old Jose Gonzalez at the Executive Inn in the 4400 block of Avenue Q.
Leeroy Trevino Jr. appeared in the 137th District Court on Jan. 30 and pleaded guilty to a count of murder in exchange for a 25-year sentence.
A deadly ambush shooting at a Lubbock motel
The charges stem from a Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit investigation that began after Lubbock police patrol officers responding to a shots-fired call at the motel found Gonzalez suffering multiple gunshot wounds in his room.
Gonzalez was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he died.
Investigators found video evidence captured by the motel’s security cameras that showed Trevino, Thomas and 35-year-old Michael Taylor, meet at the Executive Inn as they laid in wait for Gonzalez, who was visiting with another person in a room, according to an arrest warrant.
Video from the motel’s security cameras showed that, as Gonzalez entered his vehicle to leave, Thomas and Trevino, who both wore red-colored hooded sweatshirts, rushed the vehicle on the driver’s side trying to get inside.
Trevino could be seen striking the vehicle’s windows with a pistol he held in his right hand, the warrant states.
However, Gonzalez reverses and Trevino and Thomas could be seen shooting at the vehicle multiple times before running away, the warrant states.
Security camera footage showed the two running east across the motel’s parking lot and escaping through a hole in the fence.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez could be seen exiting the vehicle and walking to his motel room where he was found by police.
Court records show detectives learned Gonzalez’s vehicle kept a bag they believed contained money, drugs and a firearm.
Police records indicate investigators believe Gonzalez was shot in retaliation for his cooperation in a prior shooting.
A warrant for Trevino’s arrest was issued on April 15, 2024, and he was arrested two days later in the 200 block of 50th Street.
A warrant for Thomas’ arrest was issued April 18, 2024 and he was arrested the next day in Fort Worth.
Arresting officers collected a firearm on his person, according to court documents.
During his interview with detectives, Thomas admitted his involvement in Gonzalez’s shooting, but said he used a different weapon than the one found on him in Fort Worth.
Thomas will have to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Victim’s widow shares statement in court
Gonzalez’s widow wrote a victim impact statement that prosecutor Laura Beth Fossett read aloud in court.
She said the punishment he and Trevino received for her husband’s cold-blooded killing wasn’t enough.
“This was not a random act of violence,” she wrote. “Y’all two ambushed him and shot him. For that you will have to answer for it one day. That day is waiting for you. Everything that’s done in the dark will come to the light.”
She told Thomas that his and Trevino’s cowardly actions robbed her and her son of memories they could have shared with Gonzalez.
She said she now has to fill the void in their family Gonzalez left.
“(Our son) will no longer get to play with his dad,” she wrote. “He will no longer get to hug his dad. Our son and I will not be able to see what kind of family we could of have been.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 2nd suspect in 2024 Lubbock ambush shooting sentenced for murder
Reporting by Gabriel Monte, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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