ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Jail records show that both suspects wanted in connection with a Monday afternoon shooting at Southgate Apartments have been arrested. 17-year-old Erik Avila and Daryan Lee Benavidez have been charged with Burglary of a Habitation with the Intent to Commit Another Felony.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, around 2:00 p.m. on November 6, officers were called to the 2700 block of E 8th Street after a woman called 911 and said her boyfriend had been shot. At the scene, investigators found 30-year-old Montrell Jordan with two gunshot wounds to his abdomen. Jordan was taken to a nearby hospital for care and is said to be “stable”.
The victim, and several witnesses at the scene, told investigators that two armed suspects entered the apartment through an unlocked door shortly after Jordan’s girlfriend arrived. Once inside, investigators said the two suspects began demanding items; things reportedly escalated when a suspect in a black hoodie shot Jordan.
A witness inside the apartment said he recognized the shooter and identified him as Avila. Investigators then began to look at Avila’s known associates and showed photos of them to Jordan’s girlfriend, who identified Benavidez as the second suspect by looking at the lineup.
On Tuesday, OPD appealed to the community for information on Avila’s whereabouts; he and Benavidez were both taken into custody several hours later. Both suspects remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Wednesday afternoon; their bond has not yet been set.
