A Houston man who fatally shot a 21-year-old while robbing him was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of capital murder on Friday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.
“Using a gun to steal from someone is armed robbery, and killing the victim during that robbery is capital murder,” Ogg said. “This is gun violence at its absolute worst, and we work every day to get justice for the victims and their families in cases like this.”
Daniel Leyva, 24, was found guilty of capital murder by a jury for shooting 21-year-old Edward Guerrero about 8 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2019.
Leyva was part of a group of men who orchestrated a meeting with Guerrero to purchase marijuana with the intent to rob Guerrero. After arriving to the agreed-upon location, Leyva and the other men robbed Guerrero at gunpoint.
During the course of the robbery, Guerrero attempted to defend himself by pulling out his own pistol and firing it toward Leyva, striking Leyva’s upper torso. Leyva fired back and struck Guerrero in the head, killing him.
Assistant District Attorney Maroun Koutani, who is assigned to the DA’s Homicide Division, prosecuted Leyva in a five-day trial with ADA Dana Nazarova, who is a chief in the Homicide Division.
“It was important that this defendant was held accountable for his actions by the community,” Koutani said. “We appreciate the time and effort of the jurors, who diligently deliberated to reach the appropriate verdict. Thanks to the continued efforts of the Houston Police Department homicide investigators, we were able to obtain justice for the Guerrero family.”
In addition to Leyva, Juan Castillo, 23, pleaded guilty in 2022 and Joel Ruiz, 24, pleaded guilty in 2023 for their roles in the crime. Both were sentenced to 35 years in prison.
After he was convicted of capital murder, Leyva was automatically sentenced to life in prison. He will never be eligible for parole.