A witness to Friday night’s fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Odessa boy told authorities the incident stemmed from an attempted robbery.
According to an Ector County Sheriff’s Office report, a 17-year-old boy told detectives he picked up Bryan Sanchez, 17, and another friend Friday night around 5:30 p.m. and they went to the home of Omar Matthew Gutierrez, in the 10000 block of Cielo Alto around 8:45 p.m.
When they got to the house, the teenager said Sanchez stayed in the car, but his other friend got out. At that time, the teenager said Gutierrez, 17, and a fifth teenager began walking toward the vehicle, according to the report.
The teenager told detectives Gutierrez he wanted all of his items, stuck a pistol in the window and pointed it at him, the report stated. He said he started to give him his watch, but then drove away.
Sanchez, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was struck by three bullets after Gutierrez opened fire, the teenager told authorities.
The teenager and Sanchez were found in a Ford Escape in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in the 1700 block of West County Road around 9:15 p.m.. Sanchez died after being taken to Medical Center Hospital by emergency personnel.
According to the report, Gutierrez came into the sheriff’s office and confessed to shooting Sanchez.
Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of capital murder during the commission of a robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in the Ector County Detention Center on surety bonds of $600,000.
Due to the wrong date of birth being provided by the ECSO, the Odessa American erroneously reported Tuesday Sanchez was 17.
