Background: News footage of the scene on Oct. 19 where Julio Cesar Martinez Padron was shot (KSAT). Inset: Ramiro Espinoza Jr. (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office).

The events unfolded on a Sunday night, as detailed in an arrest affidavit reported by KSAT, an ABC affiliate. Witnesses described a heated verbal spat between Espinoza and Padron inside the bar. As tensions escalated, the men had to be physically separated before exiting the premises around 11 p.m., heading towards their vehicles in the parking lot.

While Padron settled into his SUV, intending to leave, Espinoza allegedly returned to his own vehicle to retrieve a firearm. The affidavit reveals that Espinoza approached Padron’s SUV, reportedly proclaiming, “I got you now,” before allegedly firing multiple shots at Padron’s head.

Following the shooting, Espinoza fled the scene. However, the San Antonio Police Department’s Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system captured his vehicle’s license plates, aiding in the investigation and his subsequent arrest.

The affidavit stated that the two men had to be physically separated during their argument inside the bar before both men left. According to the affidavit, Espinoza, gun in hand, walked up to the window of Padron’s SUV and reportedly said, “I got you now” before allegedly shooting the older man several times in the head. Espinoza then allegedly fled the scene in his vehicle, the license plates for which were caught on a San Antonio Police Department’s ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) camera.

When police arrived at the scene, Padron was on the ground next to his SUV, unresponsive. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries the next day.

In addition to having Espinoza’s license plate number, police said witnesses also picked his photo out of a lineup. Another witness provided a partial license plate number for his vehicle.

Espinoza was charged with murder and appeared in court on Tuesday. His bond was set at $250,000 and he remains in custody. He is scheduled for a pre-indictment hearing on Jan. 15, 2026.