GARLAND, TX – A complex investigation into a shooting at a Garland Motel 6 has led to the arrest of three men on murder and robbery charges following a deadly encounter that police believe stemmed from a series of targeted robberies using online escort ads as bait.
On June 20, 2025, at approximately 5:19 a.m., Garland Police responded to a shooting at Motel 6, located in the 1200 block of LBJ Freeway. Officers arrived to find a man wearing full security guard attire lying on the ground in front of room 139, suffering from gunshot wounds to the neck. Officers began CPR until EMS arrived and transported him to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where he was later pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as Santiago Lopez Morales, a 48-year-old man from Las Vegas, Nevada. According to police, Morales was a licensed security officer and was wearing a tactical vest with “Security” emblazoned across the front and back, a duty belt, a firearm, and other standard law enforcement-style gear at the time of the shooting.
Surveillance Video and Timeline of Shooting
Detective John Guthrie, the lead homicide investigator, reviewed multiple surveillance camera angles from Motel 6. According to his report:
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At 4:21 a.m., a maroon Dodge pickup backed into a parking spot in front of room 137. Morales and four companions arrived in this vehicle:
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Yordy Rodriguez-Aldana, 29
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Yurisander Ortega, 40
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Yanelis Alvarez-Gonzalez, 36
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Lisset Figueredo, 27
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At 4:47 a.m., a maroon Toyota sedan entered and parked on the east side of the complex.
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At 4:54 a.m., a gray Acura backed into a space at the Denny’s restaurant next door.
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At 5:07 a.m., a Hispanic male wearing a dark t-shirt, dark shorts, and black and white shoes exited the Toyota and walked toward room 137 while using his phone.
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At 5:13 a.m., Morales exited the Dodge wearing his full uniform and approached the male near room 137 while holding a firearm. A struggle ensued, and two additional males exited the Dodge pickup to assist Morales.
At the same time, a second Hispanic male, wearing a dark shirt and light-colored pants with white tennis shoes, exited the Acura and approached the struggle with a gun drawn. Surveillance video captured a muzzle flash, and Morales collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely.
The two males fled the scene in the Acura, followed by the Toyota. Meanwhile, Morales remained on the ground as other individuals from the Dodge pickup called 911. The first officer arrived at 5:19 a.m. and began providing first aid.
Connection to Earlier Robbery at Deluxe Inn
Shortly before the Motel 6 shooting, Garland officers had responded to an aggravated robbery at the Deluxe Inn, located at 3635 Leon Road. Surveillance video from the Deluxe Inn showed the same vehicles and suspects seen at the Motel 6. According to the victim, two Hispanic males forced their way into her room, pointed a gun at her head, forced her into the bathroom, fondled her, and stole $160 in cash, a gold medallion valued at $500, her earrings, and her ID. The suspects spoke Spanish with a Venezuelan accent.
Surveillance timestamps showed:
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The same Acura and Toyota arrived at the Deluxe Inn around 2:20 a.m.
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The same suspects exited the vehicles and committed the robbery
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They then left in the same vehicles observed during the later shooting
Escort Setup and Link to Victim
During the investigation, police seized the phones of all four witnesses who had arrived with Morales. Text messages on Lisset Figueredo’s phone showed she had arranged a meeting offering sexual services for money at Studio 6 Motel, near the site of the later shooting. Surveillance video confirmed that one of the suspects had entered room 125 at that location around 1:33 a.m., stayed briefly, and left—consistent with the M.O. from the robbery at the Deluxe Inn.
Morales, according to text records, began communicating with the same phone number used by the suspects earlier in the night. Texts on his phone show he posed as an escort, arranged a meeting for $300 at Motel 6, and gave the suspects room number 137 as the location.
At 5:04 a.m., the suspects messaged Morales that they had arrived and sent a photo of the Motel 6 building—confirming they were on-site. Minutes later, Morales was shot and killed.
One of the contacts in Morales’ phone had been saved under the name “Estafador”, Spanish for “Swindler.”
Suspect Identification and Arrests
Investigators identified the gray Acura by its paper tag “1P7783T.” A query revealed the car had been stopped by Richardson Police on June 12, 2025, and the driver was identified as:
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Yosguar Aponte-Jimenez, aged 20
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Charged with Capital Murder by Terror Threat
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Held on $1,500,000 bond
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Further evidence showed Aponte-Jimenez pawned stolen jewelry on June 24, 2025, at two pawn shops in Austin. Surveillance video confirmed he was accompanied by the two other suspects now charged in the case:
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Jesus Bellorin-Guzman, aged 23
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Charged with Aggravated Robbery and Capital Murder by Terror Threat
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Held on $2,250,000 bond
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Jose Trivino-Cruz, aged 35
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Charged with Aggravated Robbery, Capital Murder by Terror Threat, and Indecent Assault
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Held on $3,255,000 bond
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All three men were confirmed to be in the United States illegally and have since been booked into the Dallas County Jail.
Conclusion
According to police, Morales and his companions appear to have staged a confrontation with the suspects who had earlier robbed and assaulted Lisset Figueredo, possibly with the intent to recover stolen property or confront them. During that confrontation, one of the suspects fatally shot Morales.
The incident is part of a broader investigation into organized robberies involving suspects targeting escorts via online platforms such as MegaPersonals, setting up appointments, then robbing victims at gunpoint.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
