On April 15, 2023, Selma Police Officers responded to a single-vehicle crash on IH-35 North, where they found Joseph Banales slumped over the steering wheel with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Since the incident, Selma Police Detectives, along with partners including the Texas Rangers and the United States Secret Service, have conducted a comprehensive investigation involving extensive digital analysis and hundreds of interviews. Investigators executed multiple search warrants for cellular data and analyzed license plate reader databases.
A blue sports car with loud exhaust, identified as belonging to 29-year-old Jacob Serna, emerged as a key focus. Google Geo-Fence records indicated Serna's activity in the area around the time of the shooting. Interviews with Serna and his wife revealed inconsistencies in their accounts, with Serna having previously pawned a 9mm handgun, which forensic testing suggested could match the weapon used in the crime.
On September 19, 2024, Serna's wife admitted that there was no other vehicle involved and stated that Jacob Serna shot Joseph Banales after a road dispute. Following this revelation, police obtained an arrest warrant for Serna, who was subsequently arrested and booked into the Bexar County Jail. The case will now be forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office for prosecution.
