Erick Lee Aguirre, a 29-year-old man from Texas, has been accused of murder and detained by authorities after taking revenge on a con artist who scammed him out of $40 while on a date.
An affidavit revealed a witness had spotted a man that was lying on his back in the right lane with his head resting on the curb, saying, “They shot me.” EMS personnel took the victim, later identified as 46-year-old Elliot Nix, to Memorial Hermann Hospital Medical Center, but he didn’t make it and was declared dead at 8:43 p.m.
The autopsy that was conducted by the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office found that Nix had been murdered by a gunshot wound to the torso from a hollow-point bullet, confirming their suspicions. After learning of the scam, several witnesses and security camera footage later revealed that Aguirre had taken matters into his own hands.
According to the girlfriend, who approached the authorities shortly after being photographed with Aguirre, she was meeting him for dinner on the evening in question. They had chosen to park in a lot near Rodeo Goat and encountered Nix, who demanded $20 per car. Aguirre paid, but an employee informed them the man was a scammer.
Furious his money had been stolen, Aguirre raced to his car and returned only moments later to tell his date he had “just scared the guy.” Uncomfortable with the situation, they ate elsewhere. Soon after, a third witness reported having seen Aguirre retrieve a gun from his vehicle before pursuing Nix and hearing a gunshot in the distance.
Aguirre appeared in court on Thursday to answer to the charge of murder, and the judge set his bond at $200,000. He is currently held in Harris County Jail and is scheduled to reappear in court on June 27.