Kansas City man charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting his nephew last month
Jackson County prosecutors have charged a Kansas City man with murder in the killing of his nephew outside a residence in the Westside North neighborhood last month.
Gabriel B. Eredia, 45, is accused of second-degree murder, unlawful weapon use and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Richard Gonzalez, 31, the prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday night.
Eredia is identified as Gonzalez’s uncle in court documents filed in support of the criminal charges.
Kansas City police were called to investigate a report of shots fired shortly before 1 a.m. Nov. 18 in the 1800 block of Mercier Place. Officers did not locate signs of a crime scene or victim at the time.
About an hour later, police officers were sent to the area again for a report of a person found shot in a front yard. A family member discovered the body and identified him to officers as Gonzalez, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared by a Kansas City detective.
Witnesses interviewed by police included family members of Gonzalez, who alleged Gonzalez had visited a residence and assaulted his disabled uncle. Another witness described seeing Eredia drive up the block before three gunshots were heard.
Police collected three shell casings from the crime scene that were found in the roadway, the affidavit says. Also reviewed were city surveillance cameras that captured images of a black Hummer H2 that witnesses said Eredia was known to drive.
On Monday, Eredia surrendered to Kansas City police as he was sought for questioning in the killing of his nephew as part of an arrangement with his lawyer, the affidavit says. A search warrant for his DNA was served after he was in police custody.
Detectives were notified by the Kansas City Crime Lab on Monday that DNA found on the shell casings at the homicide scene was matched to Eredia, the affidavit says.
Eredia was being held on a $200,000 bond in the Jackson County jail Tuesday. Online court records did not list the defense attorney representing him in the case.