Found Deceased TX - Savanah Soto, 18, Leon Valley, 22 December 2023

[BeginnerSleuther]

Lots of good points here.

I think you are correct that if it was only MG missing, we wouldn't know anything about it.

And, yeah. Both families seemed to endorse both his occupation and their union.

I may have missed a news article. What makes you think the Soto family endorsed his occupation?

 

[Herat]

It's one of the nicer apartment complexes in the general area. (Fairly to her mom's house) It's only four years old.

I think she may have wanted to live close to her mom, yet wanted a place that was nice. There just aren't many nice places that would be close to her mom's house. We used to live in the general area when we were first married 38 years ago.

Those Colinas apartments were built in 1974. Maybe they were nice at once time, but eventually became Section

DBM

 

[Friday Fan]

Was her family's home close to Colinas apartments enough to be a reason to leave the two bodies there to be found?

They were closer to Valencia Lofts.

Colinas is near the Medical Center. There are lots of apartments over there too, but there is traffic on 410 and Babcock. Her mom would just need to get on Ingram from Callaghan then go behind the mall to get to Valencia Lofts.

ETA: The area surrounding Colinas is actually fairly nice, Colinas itself is a dump. It's a nicer area than the Grissom Rd/Ingram Park Mall area. That's why I just knew when the bodies were found that someone was familiar with the area. Colinas is a dump in a fairly nice area. Valencia Lofts are nice with not-so-nice areas surrounding.

 

[agilbe]

I’ve been thinking about this and I’ve decided that I highly doubt MG was there. I’ve seen multiple articles posted here where the Soto family was speaking out against MG both as a person and regarding his relationship with SS. Included in one of the articles posted to the thread was a statement that SS knew and respected her family’s feelings toward MG and would attend family functions without him. Due to this, I doubt he’d be welcomed (or even wish to go support) in the courtroom with her family for the brother’s murder. Given his criminal history, a courtroom probably isn’t his favorite place to be anyway. I can’t see that happening. Imo there was no love lost between the Soto and Guerra families

Bolded: Given the history between SS and MG no big surprise there. JMO

 

[cvaldez1975]

Big Guy Driver of the truck could be "helper" from out of state if this was planned. Uncle, cousin, friend.
Clean up man.

Happened in collin and Ahmed case an uncle and a dad.

 

[agilbe]

It's one of the nicer apartment complexes in the general area. (Fairly to her mom's house) It's only four years old.

I think she may have wanted to live close to her mom, yet wanted a place that was nice. There just aren't many nice places that would be close to her mom's house. We used to live in the general area when we were first married 38 years ago.

Those Colinas apartments were built in 1974. Maybe they were nice at once time, but eventually became Section 8.

Thank you I was wondering if any of them were Section 8.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Why meet up with the truck at all before the final pick up? Why not just meet up at the final agreed upon spot?

why not just meet where the car was left and get the envelope , murder weapon and or cell phones or whatever and do the wipe up then?

Disorganization

 

[cvaldez1975]

Been trying to figure out where their apartment was. LE says it was in the 6000 block of Grissom Road

There are three complexes in that region. One is at 5650 on the south side of Grissom Rd., the second is at 6007 on the north side, and the third is at 6013 Grissom Rd.

The one on the south side is at 5650 Grissom. The Finley. It seems more run of the mill apartment complex. The site comments talk about theft problems. https://www.finleyapartments.com/?utm_knock=gmb&doorway=schedule

The second, on the north side seems like it would be expensive. The Valencia. It's a larger complex and appears more upscale and aspirational. Welcome :: valencia – artragin

The third is The Barcelona and is clearly associated with The Valencia. Upscale/aspirational. Leases start at about $1000 a month for one BR.

The requirements for the latter two complexes include proof of funds via paycheck and ID, naturally. Nothing mentioned about background checks:

"Fill out and sign the lease application.
Bring two cashier checks or money orders addressed to “Barcelona Lofts, LLC” for the following:

Application Fee: $75 Single/ $90 Joint Applicant. (Non-refundable)
Admin Fee: $175.00 Dollars. (Non-refundable)

Bring Proof of income: 3 current check paystubs and last two recent bank statements.
Bring a Current Government ID."

There may be other smaller apartments in the area, but I would not say they were in the 6000 block. These also don't seem like the place for a 22 year old and his 18 year old girlfriend.

Like others are asking, who's name is on the lease?

One of my sons is a barber and breeds frenchies (so he doesn’t have stubs, but has money) he made fake stubs and got into his upscale 2400 a month one bedroom in Bay Area. It can be done.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Lived in SA for 25 years, so here is my hot take:

I don't think this had anything to do SS's brother's death or trial. These types don't bide their time waiting for some perfect moment to inflict the most damage - they just do it when the opportunity arises.

And I think it's kind of obvious but while drug dealing provided a LOT of cash flow there was very little of it that ended up in his pocket. They lived in an apartment complex that did not have controlled access and drove a Kia. Not exactly the glamorous life. He was a foot soldier and felt he would move up in the organizational ranks. She was willing to stay with him because she wanted that lifestyle. Both families seemed to endorse both his occupation and their union.

My best guess is that MG wronged the wrong person - infringed on someone else's perceived territory, watered down some drugs, didn't pay a debt on time. He probably knew someone was out to get him. He was being watched.

SS maybe asked him to help her with getting the car seat into the car since that was one of the last things that would need to be done before going to the hospital. They weren't leaving the apartment complex so SS left the candle burning and her phone inside. MG probably had his in his jeans pocket - a business deal could pop up at any time but until it did he could help SS with the car seat. It was the holidays, his baby was going to come the next day, so much joy in the air, his guard was down.

They were ambushed in the parking lot, told to get into the car. MG was the target but these thugs don't care about human life, only that there is not a witness willing to report their crime (you'd be amazed how many people are shot in this town but are unwilling to give the slightest description of the shooter). The murders happened fairly quick after the abduction. A small caliber weapon was unlikely to result in bullet holes and blood splatter. Death might not have necessarily been instantaneous. Although I believe both of them were immediately unconscious due to the gunshots, depending on the bullet path through the brain, respiration and heat beats might have continued for a while. At least one one of the perps stayed with the bodies until they were positive they were dead. Then they ditched the car at the apartments and fat dude (Honestly, people, he's really that fat. Welcome to S.Texas) picked them up.

The BIG mistake these guys made was not being willing to wait until MG was by himself. Without the death of a pretty girl about to give birth at any moment, this never would have made even a blip in the local news. This spotlight has caused the police to actually investigate the crime. Christmas miracle, indeed. Anyway, if the police didn't already know who the fat dude was when they posted the video, they for sure do now. Maybe the family does also. Justice in some form is coming for him.

Yes, I agree w all of this.

 

[Curious Me]

Why meet up with the truck at all before the final pick up? Why not just meet up at the final agreed upon spot?.....why not just meet where the car was left and get the envelope , murder weapon and or cell phones or whatever and do the wipe up then?​

why do you think the two vehicles parked in such a well lit area? I know it was easier for them to see, but gee, it was brazen to choose a spot with so much light on that little scene. Why not meet in a darker spot?​

Re: the car/truck meet-up with a nearby light... maybe it was as simple as it's easier to see what you're doing when you have light. And maybe the perps in the vehicles expect or know that anyone in that apartment complex will know to "look the other way" if they see anything.​

I agree they, the perps, may know who was on the other side of the well lit fence area where the two cars stopped to do a perfunctory clean. Know the people on the other side would look the other way or not snitch.

I don't think it was just disorganization that they met in that well lit place to do a slap dash clean up job when there could be people on the other side of the fence. Heavy set perp didn't worry about being heard out there, two cars drawing attention to themselves? Who lives on the other side? ​

 

[Friday Fan]

Thank you I was wondering if any of them were Section 8.

Colinas was. That was one reason there was also the drama. The place was so run down. They changed the name from Seven Oaks to Colinas last year. I read the new owner wasn't going to accept new Sec 8 vouchers. However, this all happened last year. So, it isn't old news.

That place was always in the news!
Check out the pictures!

New name can't hide old problems: Working class forced to deal with miserable living conditions

Seven Oaks Apartments is an extreme example of thousands of aging, deteriorating apartments occupied by working-class residents that pepper the San Antonio area.

expressnews.com

Valencia Lofts is not Section 8.

 

[Smccat]

I wonder what the pull to those apartments was as to a location to clean up and then leave the car where it seems no one took any notice for a few days and leaving the vehicle there. Why not drive out and burn it to the ground ? Sorry if been covered.
Its obvious it was an attempt to clean up someone’s big mess. I think heavy set guy had kitchen roll type paper and cleaner up the shirt. Then maybe off loaded that and perhaps took the strap away and dropped off a clean one back on for protection for the driver at that point ?

 

[Smccat]

There has to be some safety or knowing to the location imo

 

[Friday Fan]

I wonder what the pull to those apartments was as to a location to clean up and then leave the car where it seems no one took any notice for a few days and leaving the vehicle there. Why not drive out and burn it to the ground ? Sorry if been covered.
Its obvious it was an attempt to clean up someone’s big mess. I think heavy set guy had kitchen roll type paper and cleaner up the shirt. Then maybe off loaded that and perhaps took the strap away and dropped off a clean one back on for protection for the driver at that point ?

Car fires attract a ton of attention. They would need access to private property outside the city to get away with it.

I thought maybe they could have hidden a vehicle at a park? But then, parks are patrolled by park police.
So dumpy apartment complex it is....

Chrissy Powell's vehicle was parked for three weeks behind a Saltgrass Steak House at a nice shopping center before anyone noticed it with her body in it. (Chrissy died of natural causes). Everyone was looking for Chrissy Powell.

Maybe they thought it would be months before anyone noticed the vehicle at this dark place?

 

[Smccat]

Car fires attract a ton of attention. They would need access to private property outside the city to get away with it.

Fair in that I have no idea where the nearest beauty spots and woods are but I think it would be more belt and braces approach to it. Does it show small mindedness ?

 

[Smccat]

All I’m suggesting is at the point they were at its got to be worth the risk of getting the car right out the way and burnt out.

 

[Curious Me]

...The BIG mistake these guys made was not being willing to wait until MG was by himself. Without the death of a pretty girl about to give birth at any moment, this never would have made even a blip in the local news. This spotlight has caused the police to actually investigate the crime...

Very true. Thank You for pointing that out. If just MG went missing, then found dead, it wouldn't generate much interest. (or probably much sympathy from many) Perps did make a BIG mistake, the attention and the extra Capital charges now. Everyone cared when they heard that SS was going to have an induced labor, so pregnant, goes missing and the outrage when they're found. Christmas time, a pregnant woman and a baby-- perps made a BIG mistake.​

 

[Friday Fan]

All I’m suggesting is at the point they were at its got to be worth the risk of getting the car right out the way and burnt out.

Texas is a private property state. You need decent money to locate a place to burn the vehicle. Everything is "no trespassing".

I don't think the guys who did this had money.

 

[Smccat]

Texas is a private property state. You need decent money to locate a place to burn the vehicle.

I don't think the guys who did this had money.

Thanks for this insight. Very interesting.

 

[Jurisprudence]

The BIG mistake these guys made was not being willing to wait until MG was by himself.

sbm

This is what's gnawing at me too