San Antonio, Texas, May 17, 2018: Last week, it
took a Bexar County Jury in the 226th District Court less than five
minutes to find Jim Longoria, age 70, guilty of the Murder of Gary Davila. The
same jury sentenced Longoria to life in prison in just 20 minutes.
In January 2017, Jim Longoria was driving
down Five Palms Drive with his six-year-old grandson looking for Gary Davila.
Longoria found Davila and exited the car to confront him, yelling and cursing
at Davila. As the confrontation escalated, Longoria pointed a gun at Davila and
shot him once. Longoria’s grandson ran out of the vehicle, but Longoria put him
back in the car and drove off, leaving Davila to die.
During the trial, Jim Longoria claimed he
shot Davila in self-defense. Longoria claimed that he had seen Davila walking
down the street and wanted to question him about a welder that had been stolen
from his house.
Assistant District Attorneys Nick Socias and
Clayton Haden from the District Attorney’s Criminal Trial Division prosecuted
the case against Longoria in the 226th District Court.
Murder is a first degree felony, punishable by 5-99 years or life in
prison and up to a $10,000.00 fine.