May 12, 2023 - Charges have been filed against a fifth suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of a man at 7550 Long Point Road about 6:45 p.m. on March 28.

The suspect, Isaiah Medrano, 18, is charged with capital murder in the 182nd State District Court.  He is currently in custody at the Hardin County Jail.  A January booking photo of Medrano is attached to this news release.  

The four other suspects - Arnez Markel Semien, 19, Jonathan Lopez, 17, Andres Lara, 19, and Daniel Medrano, 20 - are also charged with capital murder. 

The suspects are charged for their roles in the killing of Joel Villarreal, 43.  

HPD Homicide Division Detectives S. Chettry, H. Martinez and K. Stringer reported:  

HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting in a strip center parking lot at the above address and found Mr. Villarreal unresponsive and lying on the ground.  He had sustained a gunshot wound. Houston Fire Department paramedics transported Villarreal to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.  

A preliminary investigation indicated an unknown suspect(s) was involved in an armed robbery in the same strip center and Villarreal may have attempted to stop the suspect(s) from fleeing.  

Further investigation identified numerous individuals as suspects.  Lara and Medrano were arrested on April 6.  Semien and Lopez were arrested on April 27.

On Thursday (May 11), Isaiah Medrano was arrested in Beaumont, Texas, by members of the U.S. Marshal's Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force.  He was taken to the Hardin County Jail and will eventually be transported to the Harris County Jail. 



Isaiah Medrano   (January 2023)



4th Update: JFC/JKS      5-12-23
3rd Update: SOA/VHS   4-28-23
2nd Update: VHS/JFC  4-7-23
Update: VHS/SOA  4-3-23
VHS/JFC   3-29-23
Inc. #043949823