'You don't wanna mess with me': Marine veteran gunned down in front of young son after confronting men who disrespected his fiancee, cops say

Two men allegedly changeable a Marine seasoned to decease successful the parking store of a Texas promenade aft they disrespected the victim's fiancee.

Marko Cinan, 23, and Justin Joshua Guzman, 22, basal accused of murder successful the decease of Anthony Sanders, a 30-year-old Marine veteran, who was killed successful the parking store of the Galleria Mall successful Houston.

Police were archetypal called to respond to reports of a shooting astatine the promenade astir 5 p.m. connected June 3.

According to a probable origin apprehension affidavit, Sanders' fiancee told detectives helium was picking her up from enactment the nighttime of the shooting. As she was leaving the mall, the fiancee entered an elevator with a radical of men, including the defendants, whom she did not know. The fiancee stated the men asked her a question, which she ignored. One of the men past allegedly called her a "stupid disfigured b—." The men exited the elevator and the fiancee got disconnected astatine a antithetic level to conscionable Sanders.

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The fiancee elaborate what had transpired to Sanders, who past drove astir the parking garage, with their kid besides successful the car, to find the men, the affidavit said. He saw the men and drove up to them. Sanders and the defendants had a verbal speech earlier returning to their respective cars. While exiting the parking garage, the suspects were passengers successful a Chrysler 300 successful beforehand of Sanders erstwhile the operator "brake-checked" the alleged victim. The suspects and Sanders past got retired of their cars, cops said.

Guzman allegedly tapped his container and said, "you don't privation to messiness with me." That's erstwhile Guzman and Cinan pulled retired guns and started shooting Sanders, according to the affidavit. The suspects allegedly fired astatine slightest 14 times.

After the shooting, cops moving astatine the promenade converged connected the scene. They saw Sanders' fiancee screaming for help. Paramedics rushed Sanders to the hospital, wherever doctors pronounced him dead. His fiancee and their lad were not injured successful the shooting.

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Guzman and Cinan sped distant but were apprehended a abbreviated clip later. When Guzman stepped retired of the car, astatine slightest 2 spent cartridges fell disconnected his lap, cops noted. The Chrysler was riddled with slug holes arsenic the suspects kept firing arsenic they were driving away, according to police.

Police initially fto the defendants go, arsenic the probe was successful its babe stages.

When detectives aboriginal spoke with Guzman and Cinan, they allegedly claimed the shooting was successful self-defense. According to the affidavit, Guzman told detectives they were leaving the promenade erstwhile Sanders came "on their tail." He said they pulled implicit and got retired of their car to question Sanders past them. But Guzman claimed that Sanders started threatening them, saying "I'll f— y'all up," "Ya'll are p—ies" and "I'll bash it to y'all close here." The suspect told cops Sanders had a weapon and weapon connected him — but investigators recovered nary weapons connected the victim, the affidavit stated.

The victim's parents, veterans themselves, spoke with local CBS affiliate KHOU.

"We're present for justice, justness for Anthony and besides to basal for what helium stood for arsenic a person, and besides to bring consciousness to what's going connected successful today's nine present successful Houston," said his father, Frank Sanders. "This was uncalled for."

A GoFundMe leafage described Sanders arsenic a "devoted father."

Cops arrested Cinan connected June 25 portion Guzman turned himself successful to constabulary connected Monday. Cinan has a $1 cardinal enslaved portion Guzman is being held connected a $750,000 bond. Their adjacent tribunal day is scheduled for Wednesday.