Arlington Man Sentenced to Life for Murder Outside Shady Grove Car Wash

ARLINGTON, Texas - A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after a Tarrant County jury convicted him of killing a 20-year-old man outside an Arlington car wash.

Sundall Barnes was found guilty of murder in August in the Aug. 30, 2024, shooting death of Zoin Hodges, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

Hodges was shot and killed outside the Shady Grove Car Wash in Arlington.

Investigators recovered several shell casings near Hodges' body along with a brown cigar that would later become evidence in the case.

About a week after the killing, Barnes was arrested during a traffic stop while carrying a firearm. Investigators later determined the gun was linked to the shell casings recovered from the murder scene, according to prosecutors.

DNA evidence also linked Barnes to the cigar found near Hodges' body.

A Tarrant County jury convicted Barnes of murder, and the court sentenced him to life in prison.

"Zoin was not just a victim. He was kind, a good person and had a family that loved him," Hodges' mother said during sentencing.

Arlington Police Detective Tracey Dixon investigated the case. Tarrant County prosecutors Stephanie Simpson and Katherine Messina prosecuted Barnes, with District Attorney investigator Lee Blaisdell assisting.