Teen allegedly shot to death over sneakers

Yusef Villanueva is charged with murder in the shooting death of 16-year-old Juan Reyna. Yusef Villanueva is charged with murder in the shooting death of 16-year-old Juan Reyna. Photo: HCSO Photo: HCSO Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Teen allegedly shot to death over sneakers 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

An alleged argument over popular sneakers has left one Harris County teen dead and another in jail, charged with murder.

Juan Reyna, whose 17th birthday would have been Thursday, died Dec. 11 in surgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital after being shot at a neighbor's home.

The neighbor, 19-year-old Yusef Villanueva, remained in jail Thursday on $50,000 bail.

According to court records, stories differ on why Reyna went to Villanueva's home about 4 p.m. on the day of the shooting.

Villanueva told investigators he and Reyna were playing basketball when Reyna asked if he could see Villanueva's new shotgun. The older teen said he walked to his nearby home, followed by Reyna.

'Shot me on purpose'

Villanueva said he went to his upstairs bedroom and got the shotgun, according to the arrest warrant.

Hearing a knock, Villanueva said he yelled, "Come in," but didn't realize Reyna had made it upstairs. The defendant said he accidentally shot Reyna while showing him the shotgun.

But as paramedics were preparing Reyna for LifeFlight transport to the hospital, he told investigators the shooting was not an accident.

"He shot me on purpose," Reyna told sheriff's deputies at the scene, records state. "He stole my shoes and when I tried to leave, he shot me."

Reyna died at 6:50 p.m. of a shotgun wound to the abdomen, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The victim's father, Gilbert Reyna, told sheriff's deputies that he knew the two teens had a disagreement over a pair of sneakers his son had purchased from Villanueva for $100. A short time after the purchase, Juan Reyna told his father that Villanueva had taken the shoes back, saying they were worth more than $100 and refused to return the younger boy's money, records state.

'Click of the trigger'

A witness told investigators he was with Reyna moments before the shooting, in front of the house playing basketball. The witness said Villanueva came out of his house and yelled for Reyna to come over because he had something to show him, records state.

The witness said he asked Reyna not to go to the defendant's house but Reyna said he'd be back shortly.

The witness told police he had seen the suspect pointing firearms at him and Reyna on at least six different occasions and, at least three times, had heard the click of the trigger as the guns were pointed at them.

Another witness said that on one occasion, she was with Reyna when they heard the suspect say, "Look around," and saw him pointing a shotgun at them from an open upstairs window of his home, records state.