Dallas teenager shot and killed during gun deal in Redbird, according to affidavit

A 14-year-old Dallas boy was shot and killed while selling or transferring a firearm to two people who then stole the weapon, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Julian Miguel Zavala was found dead at about 9:30 a.m. on May 27 in the 4900 block of Mark Trail Way in Redbird, Dallas police said in May. Officers were called to a welfare check after a caller reported seeing someone lying in a doorway at the Hampton Terrace Apartments. Police determined the person, identified by the Dallas County Coroner as Zavala, had been shot.

Dallas police announced Wednesday that two men, Christopher Paul Alvarado, 23, and Marion La Keith De La Cerna, 18, have been charged with felony murder in connection with Zavala’s death. Police said Alvarado was arrested on June 26 and De La Cerna on July 8.

Police said Thursday that a 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the murder on May 31. Police did not disclose what charges he faces, but said his name is not being released because of his age.

According to the affidavit, Zavala was found with a gunshot wound to the chest. A cellphone and an empty 9mm cartridge case were found nearby. Zavala’s mother provided police with Ring doorbell footage showing Zavala leaving his apartment around 3:45 a.m. and gave police a cellphone Zavala had in his bedroom, the affidavit states.

Dallas police investigators extracted data from Zavala’s cellphone and found he had communicated with the juvenile suspect about selling or trading a .300 Blackout AR pistol, the affidavit states. Zavala and the minor exchanged several messages and a video call in the minutes before Zavala left the apartment, the affidavit states.

Surveillance footage showed a blue Toyota Camry arriving at the facility at 3:44 a.m. After the car was parked, two men got out with firearms. About 13 minutes later, the two can be seen running back to the car. One of them, identified in the affidavit as De La Cerna, was carrying a gun that appeared to match the gun Zavala was selling, the affidavit states.

Surveillance footage showed the car’s license plate and the minor’s fingerprints were found on the cellphone found near Zavala’s body, the affidavit said. On May 31, the minor was arrested at a Motel 6 after a SWAT team executed a search warrant.

According to the affidavit, a .300 Blackout AR pistol matching the gun sold by Zavala was found in the motel room, as well as another firearm matching those seen on surveillance footage.

On June 14, the Camry was captured by Flock’s license plate reading cameras, and officers stopped and impounded the vehicle, the affidavit states. The driver was the registered owner of the car and told police he was with Alvarado, whom he identified as a family member, on the day of the shooting.

The car owner also clearly identified Alvarado as the driver of the Camry when he was shown an image from the surveillance video, the affidavit states.

Alvarado was arrested on June 26 and spoke with police without an attorney present, the affidavit states. Alvarado admitted to driving the car the night of the shooting and told police two people asked him for a ride to an apartment complex, the affidavit states.

Alvarado told police he drove two people to the apartment complex, parked the car, then heard gunshots and saw the two people running back to the car, the affidavit states. Alvarado also told police one of the suspects had a handgun when he left the car and the two had a rifle when they returned.

Alvarado told police one of the suspects, later identified as De La Cerna, lived two houses down from him, the affidavit said. De La Cerna and the minor were also seen on surveillance footage at a convenience store the day before and the day after the shooting, the affidavit said.

An arrest warrant was issued for De La Cerna and he was taken into custody on July 8.

Alvarado and De La Cerna remained incarcerated in the Dallas County Jail on Thursday. Alvarado’s bail was set at $1 million, while bail for De La Cerna, who is also charged with possession of a controlled substance, was set at $505,000.

Police did not say whether the underage suspect was still in custody. It was not immediately clear whether any of the accused had an attorney.