By Chris Moore

chris.moore@panews.com

 

NEDERLAND — Nederland police charged Jonathan Loya, 20, with the murder of Joshua Caleb Miller, 34, at Briarcliff Apartments on Wednesday.

Nederland Police Chief Gary Porter said Loya’s bond is set at $250,000.

Loya, who was one of three suspects involved in the murder at Briarcliff Apartments on Twin City Highway, turned himself in Thursday, Police Chief Gary Porter said.

Police believe Loya was in possession of the gun that was involved in the murder of Miller.

Witnesses told police one of the other suspects pulled the gun away from Loya in the parking lot before going up to Miller’s apartment, following an altercation.

A witness said she heard a single gunshot before seeing the male run back down the stairs from the second-floor apartment, located in the rear of the complex. Loya fled in a truck, while the other two male suspects fled on foot.

Police continued searching for the other two males Thursday morning.

Miller was found by police with a single gunshot wound to the back.

Porter said an officer responded to a call about an altercation at around 6:25 p.m. Thursday. When police arrived on the scene, they found a deceased white male in one of the apartments.

A witness who lived in the apartment building said the victim moved into the complex “a few weeks ago,” and described him as friendly and someone she could wave to. The witness said the victim had a lot of activity at the apartment.

Porter said the complex where the shooting occurred is a “good complex” that police rarely have to visit.

Porter called the city’s first homicide of the year “another tragic event.”

The police chief said the city’s last homicide was the Michael Legg murder on Beauxart Gardens Road in May of 2018.

Porter said if anyone has any information regarding the homicide, they should contact the police at 723-1549.