DALLAS, TX — On June 27, 2025, a Dallas County jury found 32-year-old Julio Guerrero guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison for the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Francisco Villanueva outside the Tiger Cabaret nightclub in East Dallas.
The murder occurred around 5:30 p.m. near I-30 and Dilido Road after Guerrero shot Villanueva, a father of five. Villanueva had accidentally bumped into Guerrero inside the club.
Just eight days later, Guerrero was involved in a separate shooting at a gas station. Prosecutors said he became enraged after a man asked him to slow down in the parking lot, where the victim was accompanied by his children. Guerrero reportedly fired five rounds into the victim’s vehicle, striking the man’s 3-year-old daughter in the head while she sat in her car seat. Two other children were also in the car but were not injured.
Detective Scott Sayers of the Dallas Police Department linked Guerrero to both the homicide and the shooting involving the child. U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest Guerrero, but he reportedly raised a weapon, prompting two officers to fire their weapons. A multi-hour standoff with SWAT ensued before Guerrero was taken into custody.
The case was prosecuted by Julie Johnson and Megan Reed. The investigation was led by the Dallas Police Department, with support from DA Investigators Eugene Reyes, Tom McGrath, Scott Sayers, Jesse Cantu, Garrick Whaley, Lupita Rendon, Jimmy Ivy, Lorraine Resendez, and others. Victim advocacy was provided by Viviana Monroy.
