Capital murder suspects may be tied to other robberies

By DEANNA BOYDdboyd@star-telegram.com
Aug. 19, 2008

FORT WORTH — Two teens accused of capital murder in a robbery and fatal shooting in July have been linked to a series of robberies targeting people at random.

One suspect, a 15-year-old whom police describe as a gang member, was detained on a capital murder warrant Friday at the Boys & Girls Club in the 4600 block of Ramey Avenue, homicide Sgt. J.D. Thornton said Monday.

On Monday, Juan Munoz, 19, also became a suspect in the case. He has been in jail since Aug. 8, when he was arrested by state troopers in Palo Pinto County in a car that had been stolen at gunpoint in Fort Worth, Thornton said.

Munoz and the juvenile, who is not being identified because of his age, are accused of robbing and fatally shooting Adam Spakowski, 25, as he and his girlfriend walked in the 2400 block of Grayson Avenue late July 27. Spakowski died early the next morning.

Investigators believe that the teens picked him at random, Thornton said.

"We have reason to believe that they have been involved in a series of recent robberies, including at least one other shooting where the victim survived," he said. "All the robberies that we’re looking at appear to have random victims."

Investigators have said that before Spakowski’s shooting, a white car, described as possibly a Volvo and occupied by four people, had passed the couple repeatedly.

Thornton said Detective Tom Boetcher began investigating Munoz as a suspect after learning that at the time of his arrest, he had been accompanied by Gerardo Arriaga, who was driving a white Volvo.

Boetcher "had information that there was a white car involved in several robberies prior to this shooting, so his attention was drawn to this white car," Thornton said.

Boetcher and Detective Manny Reyes went to interview Arriaga, who was in an Abilene jail on an immigration hold, Thornton said. "He gave some additional information that led us to believe Munoz and the juvenile were involved in some robberies in that vehicle," Thornton said.

The two detectives then interviewed Munoz, who confessed to shooting Spakowski and committing other robberies in the city, Thornton said.

Arriaga is not believed to have been involved in the slaying but is being investigated in the robberies.

DEANNA BOYD, 817-390-7655