Jody Duron (left), Raudel Orozco (top right), and Rolando Orozco. (Mugshots: Houston Police Department)
Police arrested three young men for murdering a car mechanic after one of them owed money for a truck repair, officials announced.
Officers identified the suspects as Jody Duran, 19, and a pair of brothers Raudel Orozco, 20, and Rolando Orozco, 22. These are the men responsible for fatally shooting Luis Casillas, 29, according to court documents and a press statement from law enforcement in Houston, Texas.
"I don't want anybody to go through the same pain that we're going through," the victim's sister said in a January 2023 report from KTRK. "The pain of losing your baby brother, the pain of losing your husband, your child … I don't wish this pain on anybody."
Months after Casillas' murder, Duron or someone using his Facebook account mocked the victim's sister on March 4, 2023, about her brother's death, authorities said.
"Hows that go fund me money doing you?" he wrote, followed by laughing emojis and two emojis indicating that "she is a clown," according to cops.
The shooting happened on Dec. 23, 2023, at 7676 North Freeway service road, where Casillas had his auto body shop. He had been shot in the head.
Police said that Casillas had been in communication with Duron's Facebook account regarding a repair of a red truck, though at this early point in court documents, they put Duron's name in quotation marks because Raudel Orozco allegedly told them it was his truck getting work at the victim's shop.
In any case, documents stated that Casillas' brother gave police Facebook screenshots of Casillas arguing with "Jody Duron" over "Duron" owing money on a repair job on a red pickup truck.
Casillas told his brother about moving the truck within the shop so that "Duron" could not take it back without paying.
Other witnesses — a property manager and a neighboring businessman — backed up the story that Casillas was having a pay dispute over a red Chevy pickup truck. The men said that the truck owner and three other men arrived in two pickup trucks — a maroon Chevy Silverado extended cab and a gold Chevy Silverado. Casillas arrived in his black Chevy Tahoe.
"The suspects then engaged [Casillas], which escalated to one of the suspects, identified as the owner of the 'red Chevy pickup,' producing an AK-47 style rifle," police wrote. This gunman began shooting at Casillas, who fled, but another one of the suspects confronted him with a handgun.
"According to [the property manager and the neighboring businessman], [Casillas] began to beg for his life before being shot by the suspect with the AK-47 styled rifle," officers wrote.
The suspects fled in their vehicles, cops wrote.
Houston police referred Law&Crime to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for any information on a fourth suspect.
"We have accepted charges on three men for the murder of Luis Casillas," John Donnelly, a spokesman for the prosecutors, told Law&Crime in an email. "This in an ongoing and complex investigation. It would be inappropriate for us to comment about it further at this time."
Cops said they received multiple anonymous tips that the Orozco brothers and Duron were involved in the murder. Tips included multiple screenshots from social media, including a screenshot from Rolando Orozco's account, they claim.
Casillas' wife let them check the victim's Facebook account where they discovered communication between him and Raudel Orozco, police said.
Data extraction of Duron's iPhones showed that he communicated with the victim via Facebook, officials said. Casillas required a $25 storage fee to hold something for Duron until the New Year.
"Duron responded with a phrase indicating that he was upset," police said.
Whatsapp communications between Duron and a person named "Jacoby" showed them complaining about Rolando Orozco telling people about the shooting, according to cops.
"This n—a got a bigass mouth," Duron allegedly said.
"I know," said Jacoby in documents. "But u wasn't there remember that."
Duron later wrote, "I straight up told him, if anything happens its cause his big ass mouth telling everyone."
And yet it was Duron, or at least someone operating his account, who went out of his way to mock Casillas' sister on Facebook the following March 4.
Speaking to police on Tuesday, Duron claimed to have been in Mexico during the time of the murder. He said he was in communication with Casillas regarding a stolen "red truck," but did not know who owned it. When confronted with evidence, he continued to deny ownership and he said he only heard about the Orozcos. Duron finally said he picked up another man that day, arrived at the location of the murder, and saw four armed, unknown people in hoodies chasing Casillas.
Raudel Orozco told investigators on Tuesday that he had gotten work done at his truck at Casillas' shop, according to documents.
"Raudel stated that on the day of the Murder, he received a message indicating that the 'mechanic' (Complainant) had stolen his vehicle," police wrote. "Raudel admitted to traveling to the Complainant shop to confront him about his alleged stolen vehicle."
Raudel Orozco claimed he spoke to the man, and worried about Casillas going for a gun. Raudel Orozco allegedly said he tried to strike him with his gun, but it went off, killing the man. He claimed it was an accident, police said.
Note: We added a statement from Donnelly.
