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Man accused of killing 17-year-old in June 2021 arrested in Tyler following police pursuit

Jason Rhodes along with Andres Urrutia, and Lorenzo L. Martinez are charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Jesse McNeely in June 2021.

TYLER, Texas — A 21-year-old man accused of killing a 17-year-old last summer was arrested following a police pursuit on the north side of Tyler Friday night.

Jason Rhodes along with Andres Urrutia, and Lorenzo L. Martinez are charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Jesse McNeely in June 2021. 

Urrutia and Martinez were already arrested on July 3, 2021 in Dickinson in Galveston County, and they remain in the Smith County Jail. 

Smith County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Larry Christian confirmed Rhodes was arrested Friday night after a pursuit involving law enforcement. 

Christian said Rhodes was the passenger of a black Mustang when one deputy saw him on FM 14 heading south. The driver of the car attempted to make a traffic stop and then took off southbound toward Tyler toward a church. 

The driver crashed at the intersection of Fannin Ave. and Valentine Street. The driver and Rhodes came out of the car running.

Law enforcement chased them and arrested the driver and Rhodes in the 400 block of Bow Street. The name of the driver has not been released.

The Tyler Police Department has both suspects in custody.

According to an arrest affidavit, Rhodes, Urrutia and Martinez were trying to rob McNeely and his friend outside of a residence in the 3200 block of Omega Drive on June 30.

McNeely was speaking with his friend outside of his home when a vehicle pulled up and a man got out with a handgun. The man from the car demanded McNeely and his friend’s property. They said they didn’t have anything, so he told them to give him their car keys.

McNeely and his friend started fighting with the man trying to rob them, and during the struggle, McNeely was shot and killed, the affidavit stated.

Surveillance video showed the fight began between McNeely and the man from the car. McNeely’s friend got involved in the fight and then a second man got out of the vehicle to help the first man. The detective noticed the flash from the gun during the fight followed by another flash. The second shot struck McNeely and the two men from the car fled, the document read.

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