Neighborhood under siege

Gun battle erupts on west side; residents seek end to violence

In the wake of Friday night’s gun battle in the 600 block of St. John Street, David Luedecke of the West Gonzales Neighborhood Association believes it’s just a matter of time before there’s a body count, either from those he says are involved in the illegal drug trade or innocent bystanders or both.

“Our neighborhood is under siege, and it has been for quite a while,” Luedecke said after gunshots shattered Friday night’s calm. Gonzales police say two people sustained gunshot wounds in the firefight, sending both to the hospital.

Although police report no other injuries in the exchange of gunfire, Luedecke fears what might happen next time.

“We’ve got a little San Antonio goin’ here,” the neighborhood resident says. “Some innocent’s gonna get hurt eventually.

“When’s it gonna stop?”

Luedecke says he was watching TV about 11 p.m. Friday when shots rang out just a half block from his home. He said he and his neighbors immediately ran to investigate.

“We knew immediately what it was – the neighborhood automatically knew what was going on,” he said.

Luedecke, who has witnessed previous incidents in the area, claims the altercation was drug-related and identified one of the men wounded in the gun battle as John Andrew Garza, 29, of Gonzales. Gonzales Police Capt. Allen Taylor on Monday declined to identify either of the men involved in the shooting. Taylor refused to provide any additional information, saying the case remains under investigation.

“This is horrible. It needs to stop,” says Luedecke, who cited a May raid on a residence in the 600 block of St. John Street which involved SWAT and other law enforcement agencies as an example of what has occurred in the neighborhood and continues to be a blight on the city.

“It’s never stopped,” he said of crime in the neighborhood. “It’s just an infestation. The neighborhood is at its wits end. It’s just sick. How much can we take?”

According to witnesses at the scene, several police cars, Gonzales County EMS and Gonzales Fire Department vehicles responded to the incident

“We don’t blame the police department,” Luedecke assured. “The PD responds, but what can they do? It’s the (legal) system.”

Garza was arrested on July 5 at his home in the 600 block of St. John Street when police responded to a report of gunshots being fired. Police officers heard the shots as they arrived on the scene, and confronted three subjects in the backyard, who ran into the residence.

Police checked the house and found two of the subjects hiding, and observed a rifle in the residence.

Garza was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. He was jailed and released later that day on $50,000 bond.

Garza was also arrested on May 17 during the SWAT raid on his residence. In that incident, he was charged with deadly conduct, endangering a child and possession of a controlled substance.

Police are asking that anyone with information regarding Friday night’s shoot out or any other criminal activity call 830-672-8686.