Teen arrested, accused in mall shooting
Oct. 3—An 18-year-old Odessa resident was arrested late Friday night in connection with the shooting Sept. 24 outside the Music City Mall.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, officers were dispatched to the Burlington Coat Factory about shots being fired and when they arrived they found a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen.
Officers found four spent shell casings near one of the store's entrances and they looked at surveillance video that showed three young men confronting the victim inside the mall and then fighting with him outside the mall in the parking lot, the report stated.
One of the suspects was wearing a gray hoodie with the word "Air" on the front and gray and white Nike shoes with black check mark logos on them.
The three suspects knocked the 14-year-old to the ground and ran away. When the teenager got up, four gunshots are heard from the direction where the other three ran, the report stated.
The surveillance video shows the victim running toward Burlington and the three suspects getting into a gray 2006 Mazda Mazda6 and leaving, the report stated.
The victim told police the person who shot him was wearing a gray hoodie and another person who shot at him was dressed all in black, according to the report.
An investigation into the Mazda led police to John Elijah Sanchez and after digging further, officers realized OPD had recently had contact with Sanchez while he was wearing a gray hoodie with the word "Air" on it and black and white check mark Nike shoes, the report stated.
A warrant was issued for Sanchez's arrest Sept. 27.
According to the report, Sanchez was arrested at gunpoint around 10:15 p.m. Friday after getting into a 2006 Mazda Mazda6 at the Carriage House apartments on North Dixie and officers found a stolen Sig Sauer handgun and a THC electronic vape on Sanchez. They also found shell casings, live ammunition, paraphernalia and another THC cartridge inside the car, the report stated.
Sanchez was booked into the Ector County jail Saturday on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance and theft of a firearm. He remained in custody Monday evening on surety bonds totaling $65,000.
