SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WKRC) — A man who played dead to escape his kidnappers later helped police identify one of the men responsible for the murder of 19-year-old Alexis Jose Vegas. Officers discovered Vegas’ body near a ditch along a San Antonio highway on July 1, with multiple gunshot wounds and bullet casings nearby.
Despite initial challenges in identifying the killer, investigators were led to a key witness. Authorities learned of a man in the hospital due to an armed robbery that occurred shortly before Vegas’ murder. Though initially hesitant, the man eventually shared crucial information with police.
He revealed that he and Vegas had been kidnapped by three armed attackers. The kidnappers forced the pair into a car and drove to a secluded location, where they ordered them to exit the vehicle. The witness described how both he and Vegas were shot, but he managed to play dead until the attackers left. Unfortunately, Vegas died from his wounds.
After being shown a lineup of suspects, the witness identified 29-year-old Eiber Gabriel Sira-Vargas as one of the kidnappers. Sira-Vargas has since been arrested and faces charges of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and capital murder by terroristic threat or other felony.