Man shot to death at sister's sweet 16 party

An 18-year-old was charged with murder Sunday after he allegedly shot a man in the face at a sweet 16 party in northwest Harris County.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies found Edgar Garcia, 27, dead from a gunshot wound to the face shortly after midnight. He was lying on a driveway at 5726 Lauder.

Johnny Robert Benavidez, who was being held Sunday on $100,0000 bail, is scheduled to appear in the 232nd District Court on Monday.

Family and friends were gathering at the house for a 16-year-old's birthday party. About a dozen uninvited men were asked to leave. As they were leaving, a fight broke out between the men and Garcia's brother.

They left, but returned.

One of the men asked people gathered in front of the house who had fought with his friends, said Harris County Deputy Thomas Gilliland. That's when Benavidez reportedly drew and fired a handgun, killing Garcia.

Several of the teens who had commented on Twitter that they were excited about the party earlier that night, soon were tweeting about the shooting. They asked God not to let Garcia die and solicited prayers for him.

On Sunday morning, family and friends were still gathered at the house, some crying after the scene from the night before. Balloons from the party hung limply on a mailbox.

That afternoon, as friends and family stopped by the house, the birthday girl tweeted a photo of Garcia, her brother, and said he was a great person who'd help anyone.

Last year, Benavidez pleaded guilty to unlawfully carrying a weapon when he was found with a knife more than 5½-inches long. He spent four days in jail. Earlier that year, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance for carrying less than one ounce of cocaine. That case was later dismissed when a co-defendant was convicted, court records show.

erin.mulvaney@chron.comjayme.fraser@chron.com