Dispute Over Sneakers Results in Teen’s Death

A Harris County teen was shot dead by a shotgun blow to the abdomen. The reason, a pair of sneakers.

Juan Reyna, who would have celebrated his 17^th birthday Dec. 11^th, instead died in surgery at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. The killer, 19-year-old Yusef Villanueva, claims it was accident. He states that during a basketball game with Reyna, Reyna asked if he could come over to his house to see Villanueva’s new shotgun. In the midst of showing Reyna the gun, Villanueva says that he accidentally shot Reyna in the stomach.

However, while preparing Reyna for LifeFlight transport, investigators say that Reyna told them that this was no accident and that “he shot me on purpose. He stole my shoes and when I tried to leave, he shot me.”

The victim’s father, Gilbert Reyna, confirms the dispute saying that they did in fact have a disagreement over the sneakers, which Villanueva sold to Reyna for $100. Apparently, after selling the shoes, Villanueva believed that they were worth more and took them back without any sort of repayment.

A witness on the scene of the crime describes the chain of events, verifying that they were playing basketball; but that Villanueva lured Reyna to his house by saying he had something to show him. The witness says that he had asked Reyna not to go, but Reyna decided anyway and that while Reyna and he were in the house, Villanueva pointed the gun at them on six different occasions, hearing the click of the trigger at least three times.

Villanueva remains in jail with bond set at $50,000.

If you have been charged with a crime, no matter how serious, get in touch with a criminal attorney in Galveston now. Make sure you have an experienced attorney willing to fight relentlessly to defend your rights and work on giving you the optimal outcome.