Left: Juan Manuel Yanez (Hays County District Attorney). Right: Victoria Valadez (Thomason Funeral Home).
A Texas man is headed to prison after he shot his girlfriend to death as she slept before he went to buy beer and drove to another city where he lived with his other family.
Juan Manuel Yanez, 49, was sentenced to life behind bars for the shooting death of 43-year-old Victoria Valadez in her San Marcos apartment, the Hays County District Attorney”s Office said. Yanez pleaded guilty earlier this month to murder. He is eligible for parole after 30 years.
Yanez called 911 on Feb. 7, 2025, to say he had just shot his “wife.” The suspect did not give a location but dispatchers traced the call to an apartment on River Road in San Marcos, which is about 30 minutes south of Austin. Cops rushed to the apartment where they found Valadez suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. There were no signs of a struggle and evidence showed that Yanez likely shot her dead as she slept.
Prosecutors said Yanez fled the scene after calling cops. Authorities located surveillance footage from a nearby 7-Eleven that showed Yanez arriving in the victim’s truck and buying four beers about 20 minutes before the 911 call. He then drove back to Valadez’s apartment to call 911, indicating he shot her before he went on the beer run. The beers were still cold when cops arrived on scene. Yanez left his wallet on Valadez’s bedstand. He also had her blood on his clothing and jewelry.
Detectives later learned the two were not married but had been romantically involved for several months. After calling 911, Yanez drove more than 150 miles to Houston where he lived with his other family. At some point along the way, he ditched the murder weapon, which was never recovered, and removed the SIM card from his phone which prevented cops from tracking his movements.
Yanez was identified as the suspect and cops arrested him near his Houston home after a brief manhunt. Prosecutors said they were never able to determine a motive for the murder.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jon English and Abigail Whitaker prosecuted the case.
“This sentence recognizes the truth of what happened in that apartment: a life was taken, a family was destroyed, and a community was disrupted. Justice required a sentence equal to the gravity of that crime,” English said in a statement. “Judge Pool’s sentence delivered that justice for the community and the victim’s loved ones, and the exceptional work of the San Marcos Police Department made this outcome possible.”
Added Whitaker: “The family showed extraordinary courage throughout this case and through the sentencing hearing. Their strength ensured the court saw not only the facts of the murder, but also the true cost to the victim’s family and the community as a whole.”
