Christian Cavazos, a documented member of the 10K gang, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to a horrific murder spree in Houston that claimed the lives of five people in 2019.
His brutal crimes, some of which were captured on video and posted on social media, sent shockwaves through the community.
Cavazos’s killing spree began in September 2019 with the murder of Ryan McGowan, who was shot in the backseat of a car in northwest Harris County. Nineteen days later, Cavazos mistakenly killed Ramiro and Rosalba Reyes, believing they were rival gang members. The couple had just returned home from the hospital after Rosalba’s mother passed away.
The violence culminated in a drive-by shooting on December 27, 2019, where Cavazos fired dozens of rounds at a group filming a music video, killing University of Houston student Gonzalo Gonzalez and 22-year-old Jonathan Jimenez. Seven others were injured in the incident.
Family members of the victims expressed their grief and anger during the sentencing. Shamilwa McGowan, Ryan’s mother, told Cavazos that despite his actions, he did not strip her of her power. Likewise, Gloria Gonzalez, Gonzalo’s mother, described the pain of watching the video that captured her son’s death, saying it felt as if she had been there, experiencing the horror firsthand.
Authorities had been investigating Cavazos and his gang for years. During the investigation, law enforcement seized weapons, drugs, and cash from Cavazos’s home. His accomplice, Louis Santee, also pleaded guilty to multiple murders and was sentenced to three concurrent 60-year prison terms in October 2023. Another accomplice, Kevin Badillo, who allegedly drove the getaway car, is due back in court soon.
This case underscores the profound impact of gang violence in the Houston area, as families continue to grapple with the aftermath of the senseless killings.
