Wilmar Alexander Chavez, of Irving, died Saturday night after he got into an argument over a parking space at Anderson-Bonner Park in north Dallas, where he had gone to play soccer.
Chavez arrived at the park with his three nephews about 5 p.m. After he parked, he got out of his car and walked toward four men in a white sport utility vehicle who were angry at him for taking their space, police said. As he approached, someone fired a gun from inside at close range, striking Chavez. He was taken to nearby Medical City Dallas Hospital, where he died.
Officers were looking for a gunman and three others who left the crime scene in the SUV. Officers found the vehicle abandoned late Saturday near the intersection of Arapaho and Coit roads in far north Dallas, a few miles north of the shooting.
Dallas homicide Lt. Craig Miller said that witnesses gave detectives enough details to help locate the vehicle and identify a person of interest who had not yet been found.
“Right now, we know who we are looking for,” Miller said.
Family members said Chavez worked nearly every day on cars and wanted to start his own body shop. He hoped to get a start in America, then move his wife, Karina, and their 3-year-old daughter, also named Karina, from El Salvador to North Texas.
“His dream was to bring them here at the end of this year,” said Walter Rivas, Chavez’ uncle. “He had good plans for the rest of his life.”