23-year-old San Antonio man accused of stabbing, choking friend to death after baby shower

Juan Jose Ortega, 23, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Guy Santos LaRue. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Juan Jose Ortega, 23, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Guy Santos LaRue. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Photo: Bexar County Jail Photo: Bexar County Jail Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close 23-year-old San Antonio man accused of stabbing, choking friend to death after baby shower 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

A 23-year-old man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly choked and stabbed his friend to death during a drunken fight after a family baby shower, police said.

Juan Jose Ortega now faces a first-degree felony charge of murder in the death of Guy Santos LaRue, 25. Ortega remains in the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

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Police said the fight between Ortega and LaRue began around 5 a.m. Sunday in the 1000 block of Patton Boulevard when Ortega wanted to drive home after a night of drinking at the baby shower. LaRue told Ortega he wouldn't let him drive home in such a state.

"The argument turned into a physical fight and ended when the suspect stabbed the victim," according to a preliminary police report.

Though Ortega is accused of stabbing LaRue, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday listed LaRue's cause of death as a "probable choking."

After the attack, Ortega ran to the house where the baby shower had been held and "began pounding on the door, yelling for the family to call EMS," according to the preliminary police report.

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Officers and paramedics came to the home and found LaRue lying in the street. He was taken to University Hospital, where authorities pronounced him dead around 6:15 a.m.

If convicted of the charge against him, Ortega could face up to 99 years in prison.

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Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns