John Martin Dixon, a 46-year-old Texas resident, has been apprehended and faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as per the Harris County Sheriff’s Office records. The charges are linked to an incident that occurred in the early morning of July 17, where Dixon is accused of shooting his neighbor’s son, 18-year-old Emmanuel Menchaca, three times, including once in the back.
The Houston Police Department responded to a distress call about an ongoing shooting at a residence on Belgard Street. Upon reaching the scene, they discovered Menchaca suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Menchaca’s younger brother, who was also at the scene, reported that he had been shot at but had managed to evade the bullets.
The victims stated that the shooting took place after they had just finished burying their pet guinea pig in their backyard. As they were returning to the front of their house, they were allegedly fired upon by their neighbor, Dixon. Menchaca remembered feeling a push from behind and soon realized he had been shot. As the gravity of the situation set in, Menchaca’s younger brother took cover behind a nearby vehicle, witnessing his brother being shot multiple times.
Menchaca, who is currently a college student in San Antonio, expressed his shock and bewilderment about the incident to investigators. He was unable to understand why Dixon would resort to such violence. His mother, in a GoFundMe campaign set up to cover medical and relocation expenses, described her son as a hardworking, loving, and selfless individual with a passion for animals.
The victims managed to escape and inform their parents about the incident. The charging document, while not providing specific details, links Dixon to the firearm allegedly used in the shooting. The gun was found in the room of Dixon’s father, John Morgan Dixon, who claimed that only he and his son used the firearm. He also mentioned that the gun had been used earlier that day to shoot a snake and a possum near their home.
Charges were filed several weeks after the incident, leading to Dixon’s placement on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List in early August. He was subsequently arrested. Menchaca’s mother, Andrea, expressed dissatisfaction with the charges, stating that she would have preferred a more severe charge considering her son spent 17 days in the ICU. Dixon is currently being held in the Harris County Jail on a $200,000 bond.