ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Earlier this week, the Ector County Sheriff’s Office arrested a second suspect in connection with the early January death of a 15-year-old boy from Odessa. Thomas Terrazas, 17, has been charged with Capital Murder. 17-year-old Omar Matthew Gutierrez has been in custody since January 7; he’s also been charged with Capital Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

From left: Terrazas and Gutierrez

ECSO said the shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. on January 6 when a group of teens traveled to Gutierrez’s home in the10000 block of Cielo Alto. A witness to the incident said the shooting stemmed from an attempted robbery, according to an ECSO report. 

The witness said when he and his friends arrived at Gutierrez’s home, Gutierrez approached the vehicle he was driving and stuck a pistol in the window and told him to hand over his belongings. The teen said he started to give Gutierrez his watch, but instead drove away. 

That’s when Gutierrez allegedly opened fire striking the 15-year-old victim, who was sitting in the passenger seat, at least three times. The witness and victim were later found, with the help of the Odessa Police Department, sitting in a Ford Escape in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on West County Road. The injured teen was taken to Medical Center hospital by emergency responders where he later died from injuries sustained in the shooting. 

ECSO said during the investigation, Gutierrez visited the Sheriff’s Office where he confessed to shooting the teen with Terrazas by his side. Both teens remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Thursday afternoon. Bond for Gutierrez has been set at a combined $600,000; bond for Terrazas has been set at $500,000.