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Relatives testify against San Perlita man accused of killing stepson

Relatives testify against San Perlita man accused of killing stepson
6 days 48 minutes 14 seconds ago Tuesday, August 19 2025 Aug 19, 2025 August 19, 2025 7:58 PM August 19, 2025 in News - Local

The murder trial of a San Perlita man accused of killing his stepson and shooting the boy’s mother continued on Tuesday with family members taking the stand.

Jose Villalobos faces murder and aggravated assault charges in the death of his stepson, Arturo Alexis Sauceda. Sauceda was 18 years old when he was fatally shot on July 22, 2023, in San Perlita.

Sauceda was going into his senior year as a starting lineman for the Santa Rosa High School football team when he died. His mother — Lydia Villalobos — was also shot and survived the shooting.

READ MORE: Friends and classmates remember Santa Rosa ISD student killed in weekend shooting

Sauceda’s younger sister took the stand on Tuesday and told jurors she witnessed Villalobos getting physical with her mom after he would get intoxicated. She also said Villalobos pointed a gun at her mom at least four times before the deadly shooting.

Villalobos's cousin, who lived next door to him, also testified. He was emotional on the stand and choked up at times while testifying.

The cousin said on the night of the shooting, he heard Villalobos and Lydia arguing outside the home. He said he later heard two gunshots.

The jury was also shown evidence from the crime scene, which included bullet casings and a handgun.

Law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting also took the stand on Tuesday. Body camera footage from one of the responding officers was shown to jurors.

In the video, the sound of a male groaning and moaning in pain was heard.

Villalobos was also heard asking for his wife and saying, “what happened?”

The officer said Villalobos had slurred speech and glazed eyes at the scene.

Testimony is expected to pick back up on Wednesday.

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