Erick Aguirre, 29, allegedly shot Elliot Nix, 46, on April 11 in Houston when the suspect went on a date and paid $40 to park, only to learn inside the restaurant that he was scammed, according to a court document obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Cops say a Texas man continued on with his date earlier this month after he fatally shot someone over a $40 scam, according to reports.
Erick Aguirre, 29, allegedly shot Elliot Nix, 46, on April 11 in Houston when the suspect went on a date and paid $40 to park, only to learn inside the restaurant that he was scammed, according to a court document obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Aguirre allegedly went back and fatally shot Nix, who cops say was posing as an attendant, and then returned for dinner, according to the court record obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Aguirre appeared in court Thursday for arraignment on murder charges. His bond was set at $200,000, according to reports.
Aguirre’s attorney, Brent Mayr, tells Inside Edition Digital his client has not formally entered a plea as he has only been charged by complaint and not by indictment, adding, “Unfortunately, I have no comment to make at this time.”
On April 11, police say Aguirre went on a date with a female companion and had parked their vehicles near the downtown restaurant when Nix approached them, saying it would cost $20 each to park their cars, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WYMT.
Aguirre paid the $40 but was later told by a restaurant employee that Nix didn’t work for the parking lot and had scammed them, according to police and a court document.
An employee at a store told police he saw Aguirre run back to his car, grab a pistol and go after Nix, according to the court document. Police say that is when Aguirre allegedly shot Nix and the witness then saw Aguirre “nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand” before putting the weapon back in his car.
Aguirre then walked back to the restaurant and returned to his date, according to the affidavit.
Aguirre allegedly told his date “everything was fine” and that he just scared the man after returning to the Rodeo Goat restaurant from the parking lot. They then started walking to a table but left to eat someplace else after Aguirre looked uncomfortable, according to the court document.
Aguirre’s date contacted police two days later after police had released photos of the couple, who had been identified by tips to Crime Stoppers, according to WYMT.
Aguirre’s date has not been charged in the case.
Inside Edition Digital reached out to the Harris County District Attorney, who pointed us to the comments made by prosecutor Michael Hannover outside court Thursday, which he said “it is alleged as an intentional killing. The information in the probable cause alleges a gunshot wound to the back of the complainant and he was left there and ultimately became deceased from that gunshot wound. An intentional killing with a firearm will be charged as murder. Simple as that.”
Hannover said there were witnesses to the shooting but did not go into detail further out of safety of those who claim to have seen what happened.
Aguirre is currently under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor, according to Hannover.
The victim, Nix, has a lengthy criminal record in Harris County for running the scam which allegedly led to his death.
Nix has also been booked for public lewdness, criminal trespass, evading arrest, and theft in court records obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
