SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Actor Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn on King of the Hill, was shot and killed Sunday evening during a heated confrontation with his neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, amid what residents say was a years-long feud.
Witnesses say Joss, 59, was pacing through his street carrying a pitchfork and shouting obscenities when Alvarez, 56, confronted him outside Joss’s driveway. After a brief argument, shots were fired, and Joss collapsed on the pavement. Alvarez was arrested shortly after and reportedly told police, “I shot him.” He has since been released on $200,000 bond and placed under house arrest.
Neighbors described a history of escalating tension between the two men. One resident told KGW 8 that the dispute included repeated threats, the use of weapons, and even discharging firearms — not directly at each other, but at times hitting neighboring homes. “I have bullet holes in my house,” said Gina, a local resident.
Police have responded to more than 40 incidents involving Joss since early 2024, and a neighborhood crime prevention team had been assigned to mediate the feud.
Joss’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, insists the killing was motivated by homophobia, claiming Alvarez yelled slurs and mocked Joss as he lay dying. Gonzales also said the couple had returned to the property to collect a fire-relief check, only to find the bones of their deceased pet dog displayed outside, triggering an emotional breakdown.
San Antonio police, however, stated that no evidence currently supports homophobia as a motive in the killing.
Neighbors also challenged some of Gonzales’s claims, including the cause of a house fire in February. While Gonzales believes the fire was intentionally set by hostile neighbors, other residents told TMZ that Joss accidentally started it himself while attempting to heat the home with a barbecue grill after utilities had been shut off.
Once a celebrated actor, Joss had fallen on hard financial times and was struggling after the loss of his home. His death marks a tragic end to a dispute that authorities say should have been de-escalated long ago.
A court hearing for Alvarez is scheduled for August 19.
