A Kyle teen and an Austin man were charged with capital murder Feb. 15 after authorities suspect they shot and killed a San Marcos man in an alleged drug-related robbery.
James Lee Zapata, Jr., 19, of Kyle, and Martin Garcia, Jr., 23, of Austin, were both arrested Feb. 15 in Austin. Both men were booked into the Hays County Jail on Capital Murder charges and both are being held on $750,000 bond.
According to a city of San Marcos press release, the two men were arrested in connection with the shooting death of Aaron Peterman in his apartment at the Park North Condos in the 1600 block of Aquarena Springs in San Marcos.
Peterman was found in his apartment at 7:23 a.m. Feb. 13 with a single gunshot wound. Hays County Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace Scott Cary pronounced Peterman dead and ordered an autopsy.
According to the release, the arrests of Zapata and Garcia were made with assistance from the Austin Police Department Violent Crimes Task Force and the Texas Rangers.
Investigators pursued multiple leads in the case since the crime was reported Feb. 13, according to the release. With the help of “observant” citizens, authorities were able to identify Zapata and Garcia.
Officials suspect a “drug-related” robbery was central to the crime. An investigation into the incident will be ongoing for several weeks, according to the release.
Both men have a long list of criminal incidents that go back several years. Zapata had received three years in prison for an Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity charge in 2017 and was on parole when the murder occurred.
According to Hays County Jail records, Garcia had been arrested nine times for various offenses since 2014.
Garcia was sentenced to 270 days in state jail in 2014 for a series of vehicle burglaries in Kyle.
