From Manuel Vasquez appeal: According to Cruz, appellant was a member of the Mexican Mafia. Two days before the incident giving rise to the present prosecution, Oligario Lujan and appellant told Cruz that Juanita Ybarra “had to go down” because she failed to pay the “dime,” a ten percent tax on the sale of illegal drugs collected by the Mexican Mafia. The “hit” had been ordered by Rene Munoz, a ranking member of the Mexican Mafia. Cruz testified that “had to go down” were “street words” that meant that Ybarra had to be killed. Cruz also testified that the plan included robbing Ybarra as a means of collecting the ten percent owed.
Appellant had rented room 20 of the New Laredo Motel. On the evening of March 18, 1998, Cruz and many others in room 20 were partying, smoking marijuana, drinking beer, injecting heroin, and snorting cocaine. At around 5:30 to 6:30 the next morning appellant asked Michelle Rodriguez for her car keys. Appellant, Cruz, and Lujan then headed toward room 15, where Ybarra was staying. They carried bandannas to cover their faces and socks to cover their hands to prevent fingerprints. Lujan knocked on the door to room 15 while appellant and Cruz ducked into adjacent room 16, the door to which was open, and began putting on socks and bandannas.
Moses Bazan, Ybarra’s boyfriend, opened the door to room 15, leaving the chain locked. The three conspirators forced their way through the door and the chain broke loose. Cruz and Lujan wrestled Bazan to the floor while appellant held Ybarra to the ground. During this struggle, Bazan broke a window, but he soon lost consciousness. Appellant then asked for a telephone cord, and Lujan gave him one. Using the cord, appellant strangled Ybarra. Bazan regained consciousness and resumed struggling. Lujan fought with Bazan while Cruz began gathering valuables, including cameras and jewelry, and stuffing them into a pillowcase. Appellant threw Lujan a kitchen knife, and Lujan moved to stab Bazan but missed and hit the floor, bending the knife. During the struggle, Bazan kicked a hole in the wall to adjacent room 16. At that point, appellant joined the fight against Bazan and hit Bazan on the head with a gun. Bazan lost consciousness again, and appellant and Lujan began gathering valuables into pillowcases. Soon they heard police sirens, and they left the room and drove Rodriguez’s car to George Martinez’s house.
Because the three were covered in blood, they changed clothes at Martinez’s house. Appellant had been wearing blue warmups during the crime. The three men then went to the Mayfield Motel, where they watched the news and used some drugs. After a couple of hours, they returned to Martinez’s house. A little while later, Cruz left in Rodriguez’s car without his companions but with several other people. Cruz picked up some food at the store and then went to his mother’s house.
Update: Manuel Vasquez was executed this evening.
Murderpedia: Manuel Vasquez
Manuel Vasquez v The State of Texas 2002 (conviction and sentence affirmed)
Manuel Vasquez v Rick Thaler (denied habeas corpus and Certificate of Appealability)
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Defendants in this case:
Manuel Vasquez – convicted, sentenced to death
Johnny Joe Cruz – pled guilty, sentenced to 7 years in prison, testified
Oligario “Bebe” Lujan -convicted, sentenced to 35 years in prison
INMATE INFORMATION
Name Vasquez, Manuel
TDCJ Number 999336
Date of Birth 06/16/1968
Date Received 11/30/1999
Age (when Received) 31
Education Level (Highest Grade Completed) 8
Date of Offense 03/19/1998
Age (at the time of Offense) 29
County Bexar
Race Hispanic
Gender Male
Hair Color Black
Height 5′ 8″
Weight 195
Eye Color Brown
Native County Jerome
Native State Idaho
Prior Occupation
welder, carpenter, laborer
Prior Prison Record
TDCJ-ID #465603, 10-year sentence for 1 count of Aggravated Assault With Bodily Injury (involves the subject and 3 codefendants beating an adult white male and setting fire to his body, causing his death); 07/12/91 released on Mandatory Supervision; 06/15/93 returned Mandatory Supervision; 12/13/95 released Mandatory Supervision
Summary of Incident
On 03/19/98, in San Antonio, Texas, Vasquez and co-defendants strangled to death and robbed a 51-year old Hispanic female as an ordered hit from the Mexican Mafia because she was not paying 10 percent to the Mafia. The victim’s partner was severely beaten but survived.
Co-Defendants
Lujan, Oligario
Cruz, Johnny Joe
Race and Gender of Victim
Hispanic female
INMATE INFORMATION
SID Number: 04131685
TDCJ Number: 00902322
Name: LUJAN,OLIGARIO
Race: H
Gender: M
DOB: 1970-09-25
Maximum Sentence Date: 2033-03-26
Current Facility: TELFORD
Projected Release Date: 2033-03-26
Parole Eligibility Date: 2015-09-25
Next Parole Review Date: 09/25/2015
Offense History
Offense Date: 1998-03-26
Offense: AGG ROBBERY
Sentence Date: 1999-11-29
County: BEXAR
Case No.: 1998CR3116B
Sentence (YY-MM-DD): 35-00-00
