Investigators say a San Antonio man’s movements, phone calls and family statements helped trace the hours after Sheri Tolosa was killed.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — What began as a call for a welfare check at a Northwest Side home became a murder investigation after police found Sheri Tolosa, 44, dead in a kitchen and later charged 21-year-old Aaron Arocha in the case.
The case now centers on a tight timeline that police say stretches from Monday’s first calls to relatives through a trip toward Houston, a return to San Antonio and a series of interviews that detectives say connected Arocha to the shooting. Investigators have said the evidence includes five shell casings found inside the home, a box of matching .380-caliber ammunition recovered from Arocha’s vehicle, a video sent from inside the house and statements from relatives who told police he admitted the killing. Court records show his bond was set at $500,000 and that he is due back in court on July 14.
Police said the first signs of trouble came when a homeowner who was away from San Antonio learned from relatives that someone may have been shot inside her residence near Donaldson Avenue and Manor Drive. Officers responded, but the house appeared secure and there was no immediate reason to break in, according to the affidavit. Hours later, concern deepened when family members still could not reach Tolosa or Arocha. Just after 12:30 p.m., police were asked to go back. This time, officers entered and found Tolosa in the kitchen with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators said the placement of shell casings in both the dining room and kitchen suggested the shooting began in one part of the house and continued as Tolosa moved toward the rear of the home. She was still holding a bag of food, police said, a detail investigators viewed as evidence that she had not been attacking anyone when she was shot.
Detectives say the next phase of the case was built around movement and contact after the killing. According to police, Arocha had been at the home with permission because he was working on a refrigerator, a point detectives said was backed up by messages with the homeowner. Investigators also said a video Arocha sent from inside the residence became important to the timeline. In that video, they said, he displayed a bruise on his knee and indicated Tolosa was responsible. Later, according to the affidavit, he called a family member, said he loved them and that he was sorry, then ended the call. License plate reader data later placed his vehicle in the Houston area before officers saw it returning toward San Antonio. He was taken into custody Tuesday while driving that same vehicle, first on unrelated charges that included interference with public duties and resisting arrest.
Family interviews then gave the investigation a sharper shape. One relative told police Arocha called after the shooting and at first claimed he had found a dead body. Other relatives told detectives they were given a different account and believed he had admitted being the shooter. A second relative said Arocha met him in person around 6:30 p.m. Monday and described what happened inside the house. According to that witness, Arocha said Santa Muerte told him to do it and said he shot Tolosa four times, including in the face. Police noted that some of those details had not been released publicly at the time. When asked whether Tolosa had done anything that would justify the killing, the relative told investigators Arocha answered no. The same witness said Arocha talked about plans to leave Texas, first for Houston and then Arizona.
By Wednesday, the case had expanded from interviews to physical evidence recovered under warrant. Detectives searched Arocha’s vehicle and said they found a box of .380-caliber rounds in the center console. According to court records, the brand and caliber matched the shell casings found at the home and several rounds were missing. Police have not said they recovered the gun believed to have been used in the killing, and court filings available in local reports do not identify a broader dispute or long-running conflict between Arocha and Tolosa. That leaves several questions open, including what happened inside the house in the moments before the shooting and whether prosecutors will argue that the statements about Santa Muerte speak to motive, mental state or only to what Arocha allegedly told relatives after the fact.
The case has also rippled through the neighborhood, where the killing broke the routine of an ordinary weekday afternoon. Residents near the home told local television reporters they were alarmed by the violence and worried about how close it came to families and children. For investigators, the scene told a practical story: no forced entry, a victim apparently moving away from danger, and a series of contacts that began with worried relatives and ended with a criminal charge. For prosecutors, the next steps are likely to focus on preserving the witness accounts, testing the ballistic evidence and preparing for court proceedings that could further define motive and intent.
The case stood Friday as a pending murder prosecution in Bexar County, with Arocha jailed on $500,000 bond. The next scheduled milestone is his July 14 court appearance, when the public may learn more about the evidence and how prosecutors plan to present the case.
Author note: Last updated April 18, 2026.