x
Breaking News
More () »

Corpus Christi man killed parking attendant scammer then returned to date, police say

The victim allegedly scammed him out of money while posing as a parking attendant in Houston.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi man has been charged with murder after police said he shot and killed another man in Houston over $40.

Erick Aguirre, 29, who was on a date and paid $40 to park, only to learn inside a Houston burger joint that he was scammed, allegedly went back and fatally shot the man posing as an attendant and then returned for dinner, according to court records.  

Aguirre is charged with murder in the death of 46-year-old Elliot Nix. He was arrested in Aransas County and extradited back to Harris County on April 25. 

Erick Aguirre appeared in court Thursday on murder charges. His bond was set at $200,000. His attorney, Brent Mayr, declined to comment.

Aguirre allegedly told his date “everything was fine” and that he just scared the man after returning to the Rodeo Goat restaurant from the parking lot. They then started walking to a table but left to eat someplace else after Aguirre looked uncomfortable, according to court records.

Aguirre’s date contacted police two days later after police had released photos of the couple, who had been identified by tips to Crime Stoppers. 

Police say Aguirre, 29, and his date had parked their vehicles near the downtown restaurant when Nix approached them, saying it would cost $20 each to park their cars, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Aguirre paid the $40 but was later told by a restaurant employee that Nix didn’t work for the parking lot and had scammed them, police said.

An employee at a nearby smoke shop later told police he saw Aguirre run back to his car, grab a pistol and go after Nix. The employee said both men went out of his view but he heard a gunshot before 8 p.m., then saw Aguirre “nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand” before putting the gun back in his car. Aguirre then walked back to the restaurant and go inside with his date, according to the affidavit.

Nix was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Nix’s fatal shooting comes after several high-profile incidents around the U.S. where nonviolent situations — going to a mistaken address, getting into the wrong car or going into a neighbor’s yard to retrieve a basketball — devolved into shootings.

More from 3News on KIIITV.com:  

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.

Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!

Email tell3@kiiitv.com so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.

Before You Leave, Check This Out