by | Published
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Bexar County jury has sentenced a San Antonio man to 40 years in prison for the 2023 fatal shooting of Duniel Valladares Fernandez following a dispute over money.
The sentence was handed down Tuesday, July 21, in the 187th District Court, where Judge Stephanie Boyd presided over the trial.
Marco Antonio Moreno Vasquez was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The jury also sentenced him to six years for deadly conduct. The sentences will be served concurrently.
According to prosecutors, the case stems from a February 2023 shooting in which law enforcement officers found Fernandez suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. Despite life-saving efforts by officers and emergency medical personnel, Fernandez died at the scene.
Investigators obtained surveillance video that captured the shooting and provided key evidence, including the license plate of the suspect vehicle and images of those involved.
Authorities located the vehicle several days later during a traffic stop in Atascosa County. Moreno Vasquez was identified during the stop and arrested without incident.
The investigation also uncovered forensic evidence linking Moreno Vasquez to the crime. Detectives recovered four shell casings from the scene that were later matched through ballistic testing to the firearm used in the shooting.
According to prosecutors, the murder weapon was found hidden inside a refrigerator among food items at Moreno Vasquez's residence.
Evidence presented during the trial showed Moreno Vasquez and co-defendant Adis Hernandez-Rivas confronted Fernandez over a financial dispute that escalated into the fatal shooting.
Hernandez-Rivas previously accepted a plea agreement and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Meghan Galloway and Lauren Espinoza prosecuted the case with assistance from Victim Advocate Rose Perez and Investigator Rudy Rangel.
Because Moreno Vasquez has been convicted and sentenced by a jury, the case has been adjudicated.
