A crime committed at 9:00 in the morning is unlikely to go unnoticed, especially when gunshots ring out.
That was exactly the case Monday morning at Early Donuts in Brown County.
"Witnesses heard all the gunshots and they looked out as the suspect was walking away," said Early Police Chief David Mercer.
Some even saw it happen and gave their accounts to police.
"The suspect walked up to the victim's vehicle, took a handgun, and shot multiple times into the vehicle," Mercer says.
The suspect is Stephenville resident Rene Pinon, who worked at the Kohler plant in Brownwood.
The victim was Eduardo Lopez, owner of Brownwood night club Tequila Nights and Eddie's Auto Body Repair Shop.
Police originally said the crime seemed to be over money, but later reported a different account Pinon gave them.
He told police that during a brief conversation Lopez said something to make him mad, and that's when Pinon shot.
Witnesses described Pinon's reaction just after the shooting.
"The suspect was very calm, walked over to his car, and calmly drove away," Mercer says.
Pinon called his mother to tell her what happened, went to the Brown County Law Enforcement Center and turned himself in.
"He committed a crime of passion, and didn't go into a lot of great detail, and [they] Went ahead and made the arrest," Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs recalls.
Police later said they learned that Lopez owed money to Pinon's fiancee, who worked for him.
Pinon told police Lopez said something about her, but wouldn't specify what.
Now the first homicide investigation in years is underway in Early.
"I've been here four years in Early and it hadn't happened here. We haven't had a homicide," Chief Mercer said.
With the shooter behind bars investigators are now working to piece together what led to the apparent "crime of passion" that leaves the Brownwood community without a well-known businessman.
That was exactly the case Monday morning at Early Donuts in Brown County.
"Witnesses heard all the gunshots and they looked out as the suspect was walking away," said Early Police Chief David Mercer.
Some even saw it happen and gave their accounts to police.
"The suspect walked up to the victim's vehicle, took a handgun, and shot multiple times into the vehicle," Mercer says.
The suspect is Stephenville resident Rene Pinon, who worked at the Kohler plant in Brownwood.
The victim was Eduardo Lopez, owner of Brownwood night club Tequila Nights and Eddie's Auto Body Repair Shop.
Police originally said the crime seemed to be over money, but later reported a different account Pinon gave them.
He told police that during a brief conversation Lopez said something to make him mad, and that's when Pinon shot.
Witnesses described Pinon's reaction just after the shooting.
"The suspect was very calm, walked over to his car, and calmly drove away," Mercer says.
Pinon called his mother to tell her what happened, went to the Brown County Law Enforcement Center and turned himself in.
"He committed a crime of passion, and didn't go into a lot of great detail, and [they] Went ahead and made the arrest," Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs recalls.
Police later said they learned that Lopez owed money to Pinon's fiancee, who worked for him.
Pinon told police Lopez said something about her, but wouldn't specify what.
Now the first homicide investigation in years is underway in Early.
"I've been here four years in Early and it hadn't happened here. We haven't had a homicide," Chief Mercer said.
With the shooter behind bars investigators are now working to piece together what led to the apparent "crime of passion" that leaves the Brownwood community without a well-known businessman.
