Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, the man who was accused of killing Parks and Recreation actor Jonathan Joss, appeared in court for the first time following his indictment in November 2025.
Following his February 2026 pre-trial hearing, a new date was set for Alvarez’s next appearance in court.
Joss died in June 2025 at age 59 following an alleged altercation with Ceja Alvarez in San Antonio. At the time, it was reported that Joss died following an incident with a neighbor. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, confirmed the actor’s death and claimed that the incident was a hate crime after he and Joss experienced “openly homophobic” harassment.
The San Antonio Police Department initially claimed in a statement they found nothing to back Kern de Gonzales’ allegations that Joss’ death was the result of a hate crime. However, San Antonio Police Chief William P. McManus later shared during a press conference that the statement was sent prematurely.
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“We issued a statement the day after Jonathan Joss’ murder that was way, way, way premature. We shouldn’t have done it,” McManus told reporters in June 2025. “It was way too soon before we had any real information. I will own that. We simply shouldn’t have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.”
Five months later, Ceja Alvarez was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder. Local outlets reported that Ceja Alvarez was initially arrested back in June 2025 on a charge of first-degree murder. He posted a $200,000 bond before being released.
In Texas, a hate crime is not a separate charge. A hate crime conviction would be handled as an enhancement during sentencing.
Keep scrolling for updates on the trial for Joss’ murder:
How Did Jonathan Joss Die?
Jonathan Joss died in June 2025 after authorities were dispatched to a shooting. Law enforcement found Joss lying “near the roadway.” Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, later confirmed the news.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire,” read a statement shared via Facebook at the time. “We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.”
Kern de Gonzales shared that when he and Joss returned to their former property they found “the skull” of one of their dogs and its harness, which caused them “severe emotional distress.”
“We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” the statement continued. “While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
Who Was Arrested for Jonathan Joss’ Murder?
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez was arrested in connection to Jonathan Joss’ murder in June 2025, per a grand jury indictment in November 2025. Ceja Alvarez was charged with first-degree murder. He was released after posting a $200,000 bond.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez Appears in Court for Pre-Trial Hearing
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez was stone-faced as he appeared in front of Judge Joel Perez alongside an interpreter in Bexar County’s 437th Criminal District Court in February 2026. The prosecution found no issues with the current conditions of Alvarez’s bond and had no updates to share at this time. A date was set for Alvarez’s next appearance in court.
