Two Charged In Taco Land Slaying

Web Posted: 07/07/2005 05:36 PM CDT

Vianna Davila
Express-News Staff Writer

Two men were charged with capital murder and two counts of attempted capital murder today for a shooting last month at the legendary music venue Taco Land.

The incident claimed the life of the club’s owner, Ramiro “Ram” Ayala, and sent two employees to the hospital in critical condition.

Joseph Gamboa, 22, was already in Bexar County Jail on charges of attempted capital murder and attempted murder for a South Side shooting spree that took place two days after the June 24 homicide at Taco Land in the 100 block of West Grayson, said San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Gabe Trevino.

He was re-arrested and charged this afternoon.

Jose Najera, 29, was arrested without incident today by the San Antonio Police Department SWAT team around 3:10 p.m. at a near-downtown home in the 500 block of Wilmington Avenue, almost at the same time police sent out a media advisory asking for information leading to his whereabouts.

Their bond was not immediately available.

Both men had been drinking at the bar, playing pool and conversing with Ayala before detectives believe Gamboa fired the shots that hit Ayala and wounded 41-year-old Denise Koger and Douglas Morgan, 53, Trevino said.

The only known motive for the shooting is robbery, Trevino said. Money from the cash register was taken before the men fled in a silver sports car.

Investigators linked both Gamboa and Najera to the crime through photo lineups and Gamboa’s fingerprints on a pool cue from inside the bar, Trevino said.

A witness said he had played pool with Gamboa that June night. Then he watched his pool partner shoot Ayala, Trevino said.

On July 2, Gamboa was identified from a photo lineup. Detectives questioned Najera July 4; two days later, Koger picked out his image from another lineup, Trevino said.

“There was information specific to these suspects before they were put in those lineups,” Trevino said.