- 2 days ago
The First 48 - Season 29 - Episode 12: Mystery Man
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TVTranscript
00:01This program documents actual homicide investigations.
00:05Criminal charges are often dropped or reduced,
00:07and all suspects shown are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
00:23When the accounting police talk, can I assist you?
00:26Hi, yes. I'm calling from the Paid & Co. H.O.A.
00:30And we had a truck yesterday was parked in our entry.
00:34This is no parking, and it's just sitting in for 24 hours.
00:39So we wanted to call it in.
00:41Okay. And can I get a description of the vehicle?
00:44It's a white.
00:46Can I get the address, please?
00:51We're at Paid & Co. H.O.A.
00:54All right, ma'am.
01:01How can we help her?
01:04Good evening.
01:06I'm calling to report to my husband
01:09This person.
01:09As soon as he left his husband
01:11he's gone to work,
01:12he doesn't return to nothing,
01:14or he no longer answers,
01:16or he does nothing,
01:17or he doesn't go from work.
01:19What's his name on his husband?
01:21Guadalupe GarcÃa RodrÃguez.
01:41532 to radio. I'm 10-7 on the car. I'm the one out for this morning.
01:51Guadalupe Garcia.
02:03The radio looks like an individual in the car. New passenger seat. They don't really have
02:08a decent visual on them. I'm going to try and wake them up.
02:18513, code 22.
02:21Not responding to me. Not me on the one, no.
02:27The door was unlocked. It's, like, mail. It's going to be laying in the passenger seat,
02:33upside down, head towards the ground. A large pool, but it'll be an obvious 48.
02:54For homicide detectives, their chance of solving a murderer is cut in half if they don't get
03:00a lead within the first 48 hours.
03:19Good morning. The truck has been here since 7 o'clock Monday morning. Okay.
03:28got the guy tuesday afternoon the family reports him missing wife last seen him about 6 a.m monday
03:36morning right what's today wednesday a couple days and his address is not too far from here okay
03:47guadalupe garcia rodriguez
03:5339 year old guadalupe garcia rodriguez was born and raised in oaxaca mexico and moved to georgia 12
04:00years ago the youngest of eight he worked for a local tree service and lived with his wife of 10
04:06years and their two young children in a mobile home park two miles from where his truck was found
04:27so you have him he's under this jacket laying in a pool of blood one projectiles in his leg
04:37guadalupe was shot twice once in his right thigh
04:43and what's in the chest when i crawl over him to look down i don't see a gun right
04:53we have one shell casing there
04:55right there you have that one nine millimeter casings you got a defect right here there's blood
05:09you see that he's got an entry wound in his right leg which there's a defect in the center console
05:17you know from the passenger side going to the driver's side so he was in the driver's seat when
05:22he got shot in the leg guy was in the passenger seat shot him in the leg and then dragged
05:28him over to
05:28the passenger side i think the guy pushed him down there and then covered him with the jacket
05:34i could put it over him that gets sealed yeah that's what it looks like
05:46hey manny
05:51light please
05:54this looks like a laceration possibly pistol whipped he's got a cold wrapped around his neck
06:03my phone charger looks like it might be tied on one side so they choked him out
06:12he's got a wallet got cash in it it looks like
06:20no cell phone in the truck not that i saw no somebody wanted this guy dead why that's the question
06:30yeah
06:43black one yes you might have a witness down here she said she reported it as a 1a
06:52the woman who called in the truck as a suspicious vehicle arrives on scene
06:56okay we'll talk to her
06:59good morning good morning hey my name is corporal blackburn i work with the gunnet county police
07:04department um can i ask you a couple questions uh you want to stand over here where the lights
07:08are not blinding us did you call to report the vehicle on the side of the road yes monday
07:15morning i was on my way to work around 7 15. i was coming out i saw the truck i
07:24was like why is he
07:25parked here because it's in a no parking right going out i saw a short spanish car get out the
07:31truck he was on the drive side and then he opened up the back door and got a bag right
07:37close the door
07:38and start walking down the street he was walking towards the entrance right to make him look and i
07:44was like is he leaving this problem i saw him walking across the street in front of me and he
07:51walked across the auto center he was in their driveway and he walked up on lawrenceville highway
07:58going southbound okay when i came home monday night i saw the truck was still there so i said okay
08:05i'll
08:05call make sure it is not stolen or anything so that's when i called the police right i'm scared
08:11the ass or something in it i think you already know the answer to that
08:18on monday did you ever hear a gunshot no no maybe commotion no no
08:27uh short hispanic man do you remember what color shirt he was wearing it was like black with some gray
08:32in it black and gray okay it was sleeveless okay um i can't remember his pants or nothing but i
08:38know he
08:39had like a short haircut okay could you put an edge on the guy at all well you look like
08:44he was probably
08:44like 30s all right um i have your number there's no reason for you to hang around if i have
08:50any
08:50additional questions i'll call you all right thank you man
08:58a way to observe somebody walking away from the truck that might be the suspect
09:02i mean hopefully we can get some good video from across the street
09:07yeah yeah you want to walk over and look at that business and see if there's cameras in that parking
09:24we did a quick canvas uh there's a business across the street that has three surveillance cameras
09:28i was facing paving drive and uh going down marksville highway we have a bunch of residential
09:34houses on the street so we'll come back out in the morning we'll try to make contact with these
09:39people and try to get video footage of the suspect walking away
09:46right now you need to get in contact with your wife who did he pick up where did he go
09:52you didn't know where he was going that morning
09:56okay i'm gonna talk to her drive to the street six minute drive
10:05ready
10:06all right let's do this
10:46so we gave her the death notification
10:48she didn't really have much information to provide us the victim wasn't into drugs wasn't
10:54into gambling came home every night and she said the victim had a backpack with his work stuff
11:02witness described the the person that she observed walking away from the truck with a backpack
11:08also uh she did have a video from monday morning from the next door neighbors
11:14the suspicious person leaning up against a tree when i was around 6 15
11:22this is the trailer that she says has the video
11:36the wife says she found the strings that he hadn't answered her all day monday so she went to the
11:41neighbor's house detectives pull up the video from guadalupe's next door neighbor
11:48that suspicious male that was seen on camera standing right outside the house
11:51like 15 minutes before the wife says her husband left for work
11:58her husband doesn't give anybody a ride uh doesn't have any co-workers or anything he normally picks up
12:03doesn't really bring anybody to the house they had no idea who the guy was
12:07camera doesn't catch that male getting in the car he doesn't catch the truck driving by
12:11but it looks like he's wearing long sleeve black like a hoodie the jacket had a hood
12:19cover takes his jacket off he's like covers on oh that's him
12:40the video quality is not the best so you're not able to make a face out or anything like that
12:51victim's family doesn't know who this person is we don't have him on camera walking into the trailer park
12:57because he's waiting for him to come out knowing that he leaves around 6 6 30 to travel to his
13:04job
13:04so kind of shows me that you know these two know each other you know
13:09we have a good timeline it's a very short window so ultimately we need to get the surveillance footage
13:14from nearby businesses and the nearby trailers where the victim was living at to get a good idea
13:21on this guy and you know where he came from and where he went after the homicide
13:33the team fans out hey how are you canvassing the victim's neighborhood do you have access to your
13:41home surveillance cameras
13:45and along the highway where they believe the suspect fled after the murder
13:51seeing if we can review some video footage thank you
13:57hey how are you hey how are you good when this game of shooting happened just on the road
14:03I'm taking you know if you mean your camera's pick up off this floor
14:07yeah I should be able to run it back
14:18hi do you have cameras on the roadway check them real quick
14:33we did collect video from businesses and the victim's trailer park
14:37from before and after the homicide there is no video of the suspect walking up to Guadalupe's
14:44trailer from before the homicide but we do have video footage of a vehicle
14:49a green honda crv entered the trailer park at 603
14:54right before the suspect is captured leaning against a tree in front of Guadalupe's trailer
15:01shortly after the crv is exiting the trailer park at 608
15:05so I believe that the crv is how the suspect arrived that morning
15:14so that's why we don't have him on camera walking into the trailer park
15:18somebody dropped him off he was on foot that's what I was thinking
15:26in the video captured after the murder
15:30right here
15:32the suspect can be seen walking away from the crime scene
15:36you see him carrying the black book bag that belongs to the victim
15:42and let me just show you this video real quick
15:52it's like so close to seeing his face
15:56Hispanic male early 40s
15:58I think 30 to 40 is a good good range
16:01you see his head like it's shaved off you see that like balding or something yeah mm-hmm
16:10there's a camera on the chevron
16:15straight across
16:16the suspect continues walking southbound on Lawrenceville highway
16:24but then turns off
16:27it looks like we got a little cutting through a neighborhood
16:30where is this amberwood
16:32like 8 in the morning
16:33yeah
16:35all black with a book bag
16:37so he's cutting through
16:38or he may live in there
16:47all right so
16:49we have a direction to travel
16:52try to get additional video
16:54continue down and figure out where he went
16:55and go from there
17:09over the next several days
17:11the team continues to hunt for video
17:16hey sir do you have any cameras that face the roadway
17:18in hopes of tracking the suspect
17:25I got a camera right there
17:27hey how are you
17:28we're trying to access cameras in this neighborhood
17:31all right
17:35is that camera there is pointing this way
17:43hola
17:44do you have access to the ring cameras
17:50see this is where it gets tricky
17:52nothing
17:53gracias thank you
17:58he doesn't walk this way
17:59or doesn't walk past this location
18:04so now we're trying to pick him back up
18:07and there's these little side streets
18:09where he could have turned down
18:10that's where it gets a little bit tougher
18:15any luck down here
18:16nothing yet
18:17no
18:19they don't got nothing up here
18:20on the right side
18:23here goes my son
18:24hey how are you
18:27that's it
18:28okay
18:29well thank you for checking
18:33he has disappeared
18:35doesn't hear me
18:36that's the question
18:39this is my 17th homicide
18:42last homicides have been all solved
18:45so we're going to try to keep that trend
18:47and this way we'll get solved
18:48you're going to be 17 and 0 brother
18:50I promise
18:51we'll figure it out
18:53we just got to find out where he
18:54about that
19:01nine days in
19:03the last camera we lose him at
19:06is at hillwood drive
19:08we check these houses right here
19:10and we don't have anybody captured
19:11walking past them
19:13so we're just going to go knock on
19:14some residential houses
19:15show them the picture of the suspect
19:17see if he possibly lives in the area
19:19if they have been walking
19:20in the neighborhood
19:31let's go in the door to door
19:32see if you recognize this person
19:34possibly a neighbor
19:40you guys recognize this person
19:43hispanic male
19:44five five five six
19:45and a book bag
19:47yeah
19:48okay
19:50then
19:53hey
19:54blackburn gets a call from detective
19:56tyler daniel
19:57who was canvassing
19:58several blocks away
20:02aliyah
20:04hey we might got something
20:05hop in
20:06yep
20:08come see
20:13all right
20:14now
20:18I showed him the picture
20:19in a media
20:19and he goes
20:20oh I know that guy
20:21he walks up and down the street
20:23all the time
20:24says he has seen him
20:25with longer hair
20:26but recently he thinks
20:27he's gotten a haircut
20:28uh the one up here
20:30he's seen him too
20:30yeah
20:32I had a guy
20:33that said the same thing
20:34he's seen that guy
20:35walk around the back
20:36right before
20:49it's looking good
20:50I mean he's most likely living in this neighborhood
20:52we just gotta figure out what house now
20:54so we're just gonna keep pushing
20:55unfortunately this is a pretty big neighborhood
20:56so let's keep knocking
21:02uh we're just going door to door
21:04to see if anybody in the neighborhood
21:05recognizes this individual
21:12hey man
21:12hey
21:13how are you
21:14good how are you
21:14good have you ever seen this gentleman
21:16never never have
21:19no one this way has seen him
21:21okay
21:32after two weeks of canvassing
21:34so
21:36my instinct is that
21:37he lives somewhere in the neighborhood
21:38he's gotta figure out where
21:40so
21:42do a media release
21:43and go from there
21:45it's kind of like the last resort
21:48throwing spaghetti at a wall
21:49uh-huh
21:50opening it sticks
21:59we are about two miles
22:00from where that father's body was found
22:02and now police need the public's help
22:04to find a killer
22:05the pictured suspect
22:06is the suspect
22:07that's seen exiting
22:08the victim's vehicle
22:10anyone who might recognize
22:11the suspect
22:12is urged to call
22:13Gwinnett County Police
22:14where they can remain anonymous
22:21one month into the investigation
22:28I'm the lead investigator
22:30Blackburn gets a call
22:31from an anonymous source
22:33who knew the victim
22:34any information regarding the investigation
22:41this is a detective
22:43the source says
22:5015 years ago
22:51Guadalupe had bought some land
22:53from the father
22:54of his ex-girlfriend
23:00okay
23:06okay
23:07okay
23:08okay
23:29the source says
23:30that the father
23:31and another man
23:33went to Guadalupe's home
23:34to pressure him to sell
23:36but I told him
23:38who is the other man
23:39he said
23:40he said
23:41he said
23:42he said
23:42I don't know who he is
23:44he said
23:44I haven't seen it
23:47okay
23:47okay
23:48do you think it's possible
23:49that all this is going
23:50through the lands
23:51well
23:51I don't know
23:53I could say
23:53but I almost
23:55I think
23:56I think
23:57that yes
24:00he had told
24:01that
24:03that he was looking for him
24:09do you know
24:10how the ex-girlfriend is called?
24:12I don't know
24:14how the ex-girlfriend is called
24:15okay
24:16okay
24:16ah and who
24:17who's called?
24:18his wife
24:19then
24:19I mean
24:20I don't know
24:24I don't know
24:24what's called
24:24where his wife
24:25.
24:28The ex's address
24:30is on the same block
24:31where neighbors saw the suspect walking
24:35.
24:36.
24:38is
24:42on
24:44a
24:44we got a motive now
24:45possibly we got a house this can't be a coincidence the plans to do some recon
24:54at the X's house to see who is coming and leaving and to obtain some license
25:00plate numbers of the vehicles at the residence
25:11one hour later we went to the X's residence conducting surveillance the house had us on
25:20a CRV parked in the driveway and we distinctly remember seeing a CRV in the video from the
25:26victims trailer home coming in that morning so this is what they took today and this is a
25:32surveillance footage from the from the day of the murder the morning of the murder we need to
25:37get the registered owner of this car this is gonna be the registered owner the CRV is registered to
25:51the husband of Guadalupe's X we had this guy walking in the direction we had ties from the victim over
26:01property spoof and I feel like we have enough for a search warrant to hit the house about to execute
26:12the search warrant that's the house right there 10-7 with CID 120 and units
26:32what are the base X is outside I get my time in the casa
26:55can I get my time in the house right now this time I'll have no Father d
26:57can you talk to me here morning with him I get my time and I have no website
27:01okay thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks M are you connected with your father
27:15Guadalupe's ex says her husband is a manager at an underground cable
27:19installation company and often travels for work
27:41There were conversations with Guadalupe and your dad
27:45Why did you think your dad wanted to talk to Guadalupe?
27:48I don't know. My dad used to have a medical field
27:55It's part of my dad's parents
27:59It's like a family area
28:02And once I came and asked my dad
28:07My dad said, I'd like to go back to buy because he has water
28:12Do you have invernaderos where they produce the combat?
28:16Did your dad talk to you about the importance of having that property?
28:23No. No. No.
28:26Did your dad ask someone?
28:27No.
28:28My dad has a lot of land.
28:34No.
28:35Oh, my dad was out there right now
28:36What's going on?
28:38The CRB
28:40The CRB
28:41The CRB
28:41What's going on?
28:42What's going on?
28:43What's going on?
28:44What's going on?
28:45Your husband?
28:46What's going on?
28:48What's going on?
28:53There were other people who were staying here in June or July.
28:57A few friends come from work, and they bring my husband to a person who came here.
29:04Where are the workers left?
29:06In this room, in the right room.
29:10They stay on the 8th, and on the weekends, on the sábado, and on the weekends.
29:16Is there a worker that always comes here?
29:19No, it's not always. It's a... it's a man who comes here, but...
29:24What's his name?
29:26He's called...
29:27I don't know, but my husband doesn't have him for the name.
29:31That man is called Elgario, my husband.
29:35The photo that we showed you, is this photo?
29:40Detectives show a surveillance picture of the suspect.
29:44No, it's not that, but it's black. It's black.
29:46Because what I'm saying is,
29:48it's black, black.
29:52I don't see the face.
29:56How was your relationship with...
29:59Well, the truth is,
30:03I didn't have any relationship with him.
30:05it's black.
30:05I don't know.
30:05You know?
30:05Because I didn't know him.
30:13I really won't know him.
30:14I don't know what he's paying for.
30:15You know?
30:20No, I don't know him.
30:22I mean,
30:23I don't know him.
30:26Can you see the fire you won't know?
30:31Yes, no...
30:41Outside.
30:41Hey, man.
30:43My name's Corporal Black.
30:44What is your name?
30:45One of the sons of Guadalupe and his ex returns home from school.
30:50Can we talk down here, bud?
30:51Yeah.
30:51Cool.
30:53It's very important that you're punished with me because, you know, I've got to figure
30:58out who killed your father, okay?
31:01I didn't have a good relationship with my real dad.
31:04I didn't really talk to him for, like, three, four years.
31:08All right.
31:09Do you remember this person?
31:12I haven't seen him.
31:13I go to school most of the time.
31:17You need to be 100% hungry, okay?
31:19I already know that he was staying here.
31:22That's why we are here, okay?
31:24There's no reason to cover up for this person.
31:26For this person that was staying with you, what does he go by?
31:31He went by Gavino.
31:37Is that his first name?
31:39That's where he goes by.
31:41And how long was Gavino living here?
31:43Like a year.
31:45A year?
31:45Yeah.
31:47Yeah.
31:47His bedroom is, like, next to my friends.
31:50Both of my friends.
31:52So you think he's been living here for one year?
31:55Yeah.
31:58So why do you think Gavino killed your father for?
32:04I don't know if it was him, actually, or if it was him.
32:09No, it was him.
32:10That's why we're here.
32:12I have video of him leaving the murder scene and coming to this neighborhood and coming
32:16to this house.
32:18Okay?
32:19So we have to figure out, you know, who this Gavino is.
32:23Okay?
32:23Because he's a bad person.
32:25Okay?
32:26He killed your father.
32:27So that's why I need you to be 100% honest with me and help me figure out how I
32:32can find
32:32Gavino before he kills somebody else.
32:50And when did Gavino finally leave this house and didn't come back?
32:57It was around the same time police released the suspect's photo to the media.
33:03Do you know how he left this place?
33:05No?
33:07Right.
33:08Wanna go back up here?
33:09No.
33:20The team executes their search warrant for the house.
33:23Down here?
33:25That's right.
33:30The team executes their search warrant.
33:30There's a 9mm wide round of ammunition.
33:33Victim was shot with a 9mm.
33:36There's a folder of paperwork.
33:40I took pictures of it.
33:43Dude, the paperwork has his name.
33:54Oh, man.
33:56That is a freaking burden off my chest now.
34:00Got him identified.
34:02Finally.
34:02Finally, finally, finally.
34:1338-year-old Mario René Lopez-Jolón is originally from Guatemala, where he worked in agriculture.
34:20He came to the U.S. two years ago in search of job opportunities to pay off debt and send
34:25money back home to his wife and eight children.
34:32Let's just ask her real quick if this is Gabo.
34:34Yep.
34:35Is that Gabino?
34:37Yeah, Gabino.
34:37Is that Gabino?
34:38Yes.
34:40When did you try to leave?
34:42When did you try to leave?
34:43When did you try to leave?
34:44When did you try to leave?
34:45When did you try to leave?
34:45Three weeks.
34:47Three weeks?
34:47Three weeks?
34:47Uh-huh.
34:49You went with your husband?
34:50Uh-huh.
34:50He's working.
34:51He's a worker worker.
34:53Guadalupe's ex now admits that her husband took Gavino with him on his work trip.
34:58They told him he's in Alabama?
35:01To Huntsville, Alabama.
35:10Where's that location at?
35:25There's enough warrants?
35:27Yeah.
35:27Okay. Just head back to 35. We're going to make some phone calls. I'm going to get arrest warrants.
35:41So I obtained arrest warrants against the suspect for felony murder, malice murder.
35:47I made contact with a U.S. marshal in Alabama. They're going to set up on this house where
35:54we believe that suspect is staying out right now for the night. Myself and Corporal Raya are about
36:00to head out and then link up with Huntsville PD once we get there.
36:14Purple Blackbird. We got it.
36:20Huntsville police find Mario Lopez Holon and take him into custody.
36:25All right. I appreciate the help, man.
36:27Yes, sir.
36:27All right. Thank you. Bye.
36:28Bye.
36:44I'm hoping to kind of get a full rundown of, you know, why this all occurred.
36:57Hey, good to have you.
37:00How are you?
37:01Hello.
37:02Hello.
37:04My name is Corporal Blackbird.
37:06We're in the County Police Department.
37:08Oh, okay.
37:13Come a long ways.
37:15You want to stand up and get the handcuffs off?
37:23So, we work for the Gwinnett County Police Department. Um, I was, on July 1st, I was, uh,
37:31the lead detective for a homicide investigation for Guadalupe Rodriguez, okay?
37:38You know what I'm saying?
37:47Um, we're here.
37:56No, well, yes.
37:56Well, yes, I was looking at the news.
37:59He was a friend of mine, he-
38:00the guy that was..
38:05We went with him.
38:06They got him for being on Angel...
38:18Mario says on the morning of the murder, he went to Guadalupe's house to ask for his
38:22money back, and that he then walked to a nearby gas station to play their slot machines.
38:43So during the investigation, I learned a lot, okay? And I kind of got an idea why this happened.
38:49We want to talk to you to discuss everything that happened and get your side of the story, okay?
38:57So we have some questions about the investigation. Do you want to talk to us about that?
39:17Okay.
39:26He said, I think I want to get a lawyer because it's going to be, it's really difficult for
39:30me to understand. Okay. And that's your right, okay?
39:36But I just want you to know that after, you know, during the investigation, there's video footage of you leaving
39:44the homicide scene, okay?
39:45So, I'm just going to leave it as that, okay?
39:56So, you'll be extradited to the Garnett County Jail.
40:21I mean, it'd be nice to get the suspects out of the story and, you know, figure out, you know,
40:25why.
40:27I mean, it was just something that he was giving money to kill this guy over land, over Guadalupe's refusal
40:35for not telling the land back to the ex's father in Mexico.
40:40But it feels good. This was one of my toughest cases that I've had. And I ultimately got the suspect
40:45arrested.
40:45This was my 17th homicide. So, still, 17 and 0.
40:54Two days later.
40:56Okay.
40:57Blackburn gets a hold of Guadalupe's ex-girlfriend's father.
41:04He says he doesn't know why, you know, Mario killed Lupe.
41:09But I learned that Guadalupe's land will go to Guadalupe's eldest son with the ex.
41:16So, that means the land will stay with the ex's family. So, I believe there's a possibility that the land
41:22dispute was the motive for the homicide.
41:25There's also, to me, you know, if Mario did get the green light to kill Lupe, why didn't Mario get
41:32a cut? And why is he still in the country?
41:35You know, when he was arrested, he only had two phones and $10 bucks.
41:38So, it's kind of still, you know, the what if, but something that we just won't know.
41:45Guadalupe's death was very tragic.
41:47From the victim's wife, Guadalupe was a hardworking man.
41:51He was a family man, loving husband, devoted father.
41:56So, this is very tragic.
41:57And basically, now, his children will no longer have a father to raise them, but hopefully for his family.
42:05It's a good sense of relief knowing that a suspect has been identified and captured, giving the family closure from
42:12this investigation.
42:383. promets
42:43Pretty sure that he can do him now, because he can do hisMacsenio.
42:484.5.
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