A Texas Marine Corps veteran employed as a security guard at a sports bar was allegedly shot by an illegal immigrant and left severely injured. Jimmy Friesenhahn is now paralysed and battling for his life.
The illegal migrant has been identified as Wilmer Vladmir Ortega Ruiz, 29, who is a serial recidivist. He was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 4 after he allegedly entered the country illegally, The New York Post reported.
The shooting took place at 12:30 am on Sunday outside El Patio Sports Bar.
Mr Friesenhahn, 44, who served in the Marines for 14 years and survived several deployments abroad, including one to Iraq, has been left paralysed and unable to converse.
According to his brother-in-law Emmanuel Martinez, Mr Friesenhahn was working at the El Patio Sports Bar when he noticed a man who looked like carrying a weapon in his pocket and attempted to seize it.
Mr Friesenhahn and Ortega Ruiz fought over the pistol before the Marine Corps veteran was shot three times-once through the neck and twice in the bulletproof vest.
Following the shooting, the 44-year-old was left with a ruptured oesophagus, vocal cords, and a complete spinal injury. Despite having six surgeries and continuing his life, his condition is only getting worse.
Mr Friesenhahn's irate family claimed the Democratic District Attorney in San Antonio is soft-peddling the accusations after failing to prosecute his attacker following four previous arrests.
According to court documents, Ortega Ruiz was previously taken into custody in San Antonio and charged with DWI in October 2020. However, he did not appear in court after being released on a personal recognisance bond.
The Bexar County District Attorney's office subsequently reduced the DWI allegation to impeding a passageway. Although Ortega Ruiz entered a guilty plea in that case, he violated the conditions of his probation and was arrested again in August 2023, per The NY Post.
In September 2023, Ortega Ruiz was arrested a third time and released on bond for $1,500; however, he again failed to appear in court at a subsequent hearing. In November 2024, he was arrested a fourth time and sentenced to time served over three weeks later.
