Snapchat messages connected a 19-year-old man to the fatal shooting of his high school classmate, according to Dallas police records.
Juan Cardenas was arrested Dec. 19 on a capital murder charge in connection with the death of 18-year-old Joseph Pintucci. Cardenas is the accused shooter, police records show.
Pintucci was shot to death around 10 p.m. Jan. 24 at The Shops at Park Lane after he met three people for a drug deal. They robbed him of THC vape canisters, police said.
The canisters were worth about "$1,500 in states where the marijuana is legal," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Rene Eduardo Montanez was arrested two days after the shooting on a capital murder charge in connection with Pintucci's death, but police said investigators did not believe he was the shooter.
Montanez was released on bond in February, court records show.
According to the affidavit, Montanez and the third person ran away from Pintucci, who was in his car, after stealing a bag of THC vape canisters. While they were running away, Cardenas fired one shot, killing Pintucci, the arrest warrant says.
Witness told investigators in March and July that Cardenas was responsible for Pintucci's death, police records say.
In August, the detective in the case went to Evolution Academy, where both Cardenas and Pintucci attended school. Pintucci's death was announced at the school the day after his death.
School records show that Cardenas left early that day. He did not attend school again until Feb. 13, when he withdrew, the arrest warrant says.
In November, investigators received Snapchat records for Cardenas that contained messages suggesting he was connected to Pintucci's death. The records also showed that Cardenas tried to sell a 9mm Glock 19 for $450 two days after the shooting, police records say.
Police said a 9mm fired cartridge was found at the crime scene.
Cardenas remains in the Dallas County jail in lieu of $500,000.
