SAN ANTONIO – A 16-year-old facing two separate murder charges learned on Thursday when his trial will begin.
Rene Gonzales was only 14 when he was accused of involvement in a deadly drive-by shooting.
On Thursday, in red solitary confinement jail clothes, 16-year-old Rene Gonzales was brought in handcuffs and leg and waist restraints to stand before 437th Criminal District Court Judge Joel Perez.
Gonzales, back in October 2022, is accused of taking part in a drive-by shooting that mistakenly targeted the wrong house.
Novita Brazil, 25, who was studying inside her home on Bald Mountain Drive in West Bexar County, was killed.
While out on bond for that case, Gonzales cut his GPS monitor in the summer of 2023.
Right before being rearrested, he is accused of fatally shooting a 54-year-old man who tried to break up a fight between teenagers.
In that case, Gonzales was officially certified as an adult in November 2024 and is now awaiting an indictment.
On Thursday in court, the state updated the judge on their status in the 2022 murder case.
“This case, it appears, won’t be resolved by way of plea. We will need a trial date,” prosecutor Neal Cordero said.
The date of July 21, 2025, was agreed upon. This was to ensure an indictment in the second case would be accomplished, but also so the state could bring up that second case in trial.
“It is our intention to put that murder on the punishment of the indicted murder.”
Gonzales is now facing the potential of two life sentences if found guilty in both cases.