Christopher Preciado has been found guilty of killing a young Texas couple and their unborn child more than two years after their 2023 deaths.
A jury found Preciado, 21, guilty on capital murder charges in connection to the deaths Matthew Guerra, Savanah Soto and her unborn son, Fabian, during a hearing on Thursday, March 26.
Following the guilty verdict, Preciado was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Preciado was charged with capital murder following the December 2023 killings, with prosecutors arguing that the then-19-year-old shot and killed Guerra, Soto and her unborn child during an apparent drug deal that took place in Guerra’s car.
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Guerra and Soto’s bodies were discovered the day after the killings when Guerra’s silver Kia Optima was found abandoned in an apartment lot on Danny Kaye Drive.
Police released surveillance footage that showed an individual leaving a gray Chevy Silverado and speaking with the driver of Guerra’s car. After police identified the people in the video, Christopher and his father, Ramon Preciado, were arrested on January 3, 2024.
Ramon was accused of helping move the bodies, and his trial has not yet started. It is not currently clear if he has entered a plea in the case.
Christopher’s stepmother, Myrta Romanos, was also arrested in connection to the crime, though her case was dismissed in November 2025.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors discussed the timeline, testimonies and physical evidence in connection to the crime to depict Preciado’s actions and intent.
The final testimonies were given on Wednesday, March 25, with five witnesses taking the stand, News 4 San Antonio. One person who spoke was the officer who helped search Preciado’s home, where investigators found the murder weapon.
During the closing argument, prosecutors said that the evidence presented over the seven-day trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Preciado entered Guerra’s car armed with the intention to rob him, according to News 4 San Antonio. Prosecutors said that they believed Preciado was willing to kill Guerra and Soto as he went into the situation.
Meanwhile, the defense argued that the state’s case lacked direct video, solid testimony and a clear motive in the crime. The defense also told the jurors that most of the evidence presented during the case was based on reconstructions and theories instead of concrete proof that Preciado committed the murders.
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The victims’ families reflected on the verdict at the conclusion of the trial, saying they were happy the case was finally closed.
“Your next stop is a penitentiary. I believe with all my heart that’ll be your hell here on Earth, before you go to hell, where you spend all eternity,” Matthew Guerra’s father, Gabriel Guerra, said, per News 4 San Antonio.
Meanwhile, Guerra’s grandmother remembered her grandson as having “a heart of gold.” She added, “I miss him very much every day, but I know I’ll see him someday.”
