Newly released court documents reveal a dispute over a Facebook post led to the confrontation that ended with one man dead and an 19-year-old arrested in Corpus Christi.
RELATED: Victim identified in deadly Moravian Drive disturbance; 19-year-old arrested
According to a Corpus Christi Police Department arrest affidavit, Victor Moreno, 19, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the July 8 incident in the 4500 block of Moravian Drive.
Officers responded around 10:43 a.m. after receiving a report that a man had pointed a gun at people while a Chevrolet Silverado pulling a trailer was stopped in the roadway.
When officers arrived, they found Athanasios Stamatakis lying in the street with severe injuries. According to the affidavit, his right leg had been nearly severed below the knee, and he was not breathing normally. Officers began CPR until paramedics arrived, but Stamatakis was later pronounced dead at CHRISTUS Spohn Shoreline Hospital.
According to investigators, the confrontation stemmed from a Facebook post made by a man who had recently shared what police described as a dark humor joke about epilepsy. Family members of Stamatakis, who reportedly had epilepsy, were offended by the post.
The man told investigators he tried to explain that the joke was not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings. Still, Stamatakis wanted to confront him in person while he was working a landscaping job on Moravian Drive.
According to the affidavit, Stamatakis and another man arrived at the job site in a Chevrolet Tahoe. Witnesses told investigators Stamatakis pointed a black handgun through the Tahoe’s passenger-side window toward the man, who was sitting inside a Chevrolet Silverado. The man told police he feared he was about to be shot and drove forward, striking the Tahoe while pulling a trailer.
Police said another suspect then used what appeared to be a hammer to smash the Silverado’s windows during the confrontation.
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from nearby homes, which they said supported witness statements. According to the affidavit, the footage shows the Tahoe pulling alongside the Silverado before the Tahoe’s driver gets out and approaches the driver’s window while pointing what appears to be a handgun. The video then shows the Tahoe’s front-seat passenger using what appeared to be a hammer to smash the Silverado’s rear driver-side and front windows. Moments later, the Silverado drives forward, and the Tahoe’s front-seat passenger is seen leaving the vehicle and running north on Moravian Drive.
Police later identified Moreno as the Tahoe’s front-seat passenger after two witnesses separately identified him in photo lineups. According to the affidavit, investigators determined Moreno participated in the aggravated assault by pointing a handgun at the man and another individual, placing them in fear of serious bodily injury or death.
Moreno was arrested and booked into the Nueces County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The investigation remains ongoing. Police have not announced whether additional charges are expected in connection with Stamatakis’ death.