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Man interrupted dinner date to kill parking lot scammer over $40, police say
theblaze.com ^ | April 29, 2023 | MICHELE BLOOD

Posted on 04/29/2023 6:35:08 PM PDT by lowbridge

Erick Aguirre, 29, was arrested north of Corpus Christi, Texas Tuesday, the New York Times reported. He is charged in connection with the April 11 death of 46-year-old Elliot Nix in Houston. He was jailed on a $200,000 bond after an arraignment Thursday.

Aguirre and his date, Melanie Castillo, arrived in separate cars for a date at a restaurant called the Rodeo Goat on the night of the shooting, according to the Times.

Once they parked, a man approached them to pay a $20 parking fee each car. Aguirre paid, and the couple went on to the restaurant. When they got to the Rodeo Goat, a worker told them the seeming parking attendant was actually a "scammer."

Castillo, who voluntarily gave a statement to police two days after the shooting, reportedly said Aguirre "sprinted" back to the cars while she waited outside the restaurant.

A witness from a nearby smoke shop told police he saw Aguirre pull a pistol from his car. Next, he heard a gunshot, saw Aguirre return to the car with the gun, then saw Aguirre go back to Rodeo Goat, according to the Times' review of court documents.

Castillo, the woman on the date, said Aguirre told her he "just scared the guy." The pair went inside the restaurant, only to leave shortly after when Aguirre suggested going someplace else.

"She was devastated to learn of the death," Castillo's attorney, Rock DeToto, told the Times. He added that Castillo was "shocked to see a photo of herself on the news and to hear that she was a person of interest."

"The penal code in Texas, and in 49 other states, and in most civilized countries, doesn’t give you any legal basis to shoot and kill someone who ripped you off," legal analyst Brian Wice told KPRC.

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society
KEYWORDS: banglist; brianwice; corpuschristi; elliotnix; erickaguirre; houston; melaniecastillo; micheleblood; newyorktimes; rockdetoto; rodeogoat; texas
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To: lowbridge

“The penal code in Texas, and in 49 other states, and in most civilized countries, doesn’t give you any legal basis to shoot and kill someone who ripped you off,”

Why not?


21 posted on 04/29/2023 7:01:50 PM PDT by MileHi ((Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: DesertRhino

The scammer won’t be scamming anyone anymore and this guy gave up his freedom for the rest of his life to do us this favor. What a self-sacrificing philanthropist.


22 posted on 04/29/2023 7:02:14 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to se)
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To: nikos1121

Nominate the scammer for a Darwin Award if the thought this guy was good candidate to rip off.


23 posted on 04/29/2023 7:04:59 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: lowbridge

I have a feeling this murderer guy himself isn’t on the opposite side of the law as the parking lot scammer.

Cartel psychos don’t like being scammed.


24 posted on 04/29/2023 7:05:38 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to se)
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To: Tijeras_Slim
Her's how he looked the night of the crime...
25 posted on 04/29/2023 7:07:33 PM PDT by nikos1121
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To: nikos1121

Yeah. As if he’s not a bigger criminal than the penny ante scammer dude.


26 posted on 04/29/2023 7:08:34 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to se)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

The shooter parked his car, as did his date.

A guy, the scammer, came up and asked them for $20 each to park their cars there.

He paid and

They walked to the restaurant.

A valet told him, that the guy was a scammer.

That’s when, the shooter, decided to go show how macho he was....(first Match.com date) and went to confront the scammer.

Sounds like the shooter was carrying a concealed weapon, as he returned it to his car after the shooting.

He them went into the restaurant, I suppose for a drink, then the two, went elsewhere.


27 posted on 04/29/2023 7:11:39 PM PDT by nikos1121
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To: lowbridge
"The penal code in Texas, and in 49 other states, and in most civilized countries, doesn’t give you any legal basis to shoot and kill someone who ripped you off" -- legal analyst Brian Wice

However much Brian is paid, it isn't enough. It's not often you find such brilliant legal commentary

28 posted on 04/29/2023 7:17:36 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (I don’t like to think before I say something...I want to be just as surprised as everyone else…)
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To: KevinB
The woman shown in the picture in the article is quite a bit chubbier than the one shown in the photo you posted.

Let's cut her some slack. Traumatic events like this increase stress, and some people over-eat to cope.

29 posted on 04/29/2023 7:19:55 PM PDT by nwrep
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To: nwrep

You have to feel real sorry for Melanie. Just imagine your date says “I’ll be right back” and, next thing you know, you see yourself on the news and learn you are a person of interest in a killing. She sure didn’t deserve that.


30 posted on 04/29/2023 7:20:15 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (I don’t like to think before I say something...I want to be just as surprised as everyone else…)
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To: lowbridge

Justice will prevail.
No wait. That was last century.


31 posted on 04/29/2023 7:21:21 PM PDT by Tupelo (A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand)
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To: DesertRhino
Understandable.

Maybe, maybe not (though I'll never cry over a dead thief).

But what cannot be debated is that in our increasing "defund the police" lawless dystopia, vigilante justice will fill the void.

32 posted on 04/29/2023 7:21:54 PM PDT by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024. A real conservative.)
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To: lowbridge

For ALL!
Dear FRiends, We truly do need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Please donate today if you can. [FReepathon XXIX]

Posted on 4/29/2023, 2:26:33 PM by Chris Robinson

Prayers up.

FR is funded solely by contributions made by the liberty loving patriots who love and use it.


33 posted on 04/29/2023 7:24:18 PM PDT by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: lowbridge
Probably the failed legal system is a significant factor here. I would assume Nix has been swindling people for 40 years, and only now has paid for a multitude of crimes. Good riddance.

Or maybe this was the first time he ever did anything like this and he was a wonderful and thoughtful citizen. I guess it's remotely possible.

And the shooter? Well, we all have probably had a quick thought of doing just this after being conned. Most people would then take a breath and consider why shooting someone is a bad idea.

No point in trying to get the guy arrested to pay for his crimes. No point in tracking him down and trying to argue and get your money back. You'll be met with denials and self-righteousness, probably called a racist, and end up even angrier than before.

34 posted on 04/29/2023 7:32:49 PM PDT by FoxInSocks ("Hope is not a course of action." — M. O'Neal, USMC)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

He’s also just plain wrong.

Texas Penal Code:
Sec. 9.42
Deadly Force to Protect Property
A person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property:
(1)if he would be justified in using force against the other under Section 9.41 (Protection of One’s Own Property); and
(2)when and to the degree he reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary:
(A)to prevent the other’s imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or
(B)to prevent the other who is fleeing immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the property; and


35 posted on 04/29/2023 7:33:17 PM PDT by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, and you should never wish to do less.)
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To: Phoenix8

> the system might have let him [the scammer] off almost punishment free to resume preying on the innocent again and again <

That’s almost certainly part of the story here. The waiter knew about the scammer. So the bar probably had called the police in the past. Then, as in most cities, nothing was done.


36 posted on 04/29/2023 7:36:05 PM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: wetgundog

If I was on the jury he’d get the death penalty. I guess I’m less tolerant of first degree murder than you. The fact you would excuse a murder over $40 is disgusting. One of the biggest problems we have in this country right now is the fact we are making murder into just another crime with sentences of 10 or 20 years, even less. All first degree murders should be death penalty, period. Death should be the sentence for aggravated rape also.


37 posted on 04/29/2023 7:37:28 PM PDT by shadowlands1960 (We live in a world of intolerance masked as tolerance. RUSH LIMBAUGH)
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To: wetgundog

“If I was on the jury , he’d walk.”
Seriously ?
You’d be for hanging for horse theft?
Who’s the troglodyte?


38 posted on 04/29/2023 7:40:51 PM PDT by A strike ("The worse, the better."- Lenin (& Schwab & Soros)
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To: nikos1121

Wow, he looks like a criminal.


39 posted on 04/29/2023 7:42:40 PM PDT by nwrep
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To: A strike

Yeah, you will see more of this when they don’t enforce the laws. The shooter may be as creepy as the deceased. I wouldn’t say it is justified, but I also wouldn’t vote to convict.


40 posted on 04/29/2023 7:46:57 PM PDT by xxqqzz
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