Investigation focuses on potential video of shooting after 1 killed, 3 arrested

Published 12:40 pm Monday, March 20, 2023

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BEAUMONT — Police in Beaumont are asking for people with any cellphone video or surveillance footage from businesses that were in the vicinity of Saturday’s assault and fatal shooting to contact the department.

Officer Carol Riley asked individuals who witnessed the fatal shooting who have video of it and have not been contacted by investigators to call 409-832-1234.

Police were in the area of The Crossing, 6550 Phelan, for trespassers who were parking and walking to DMoney Daiquiris Lounge, 6632 Phelan Blvd. at 2:53 a.m. Saturday.

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The shooting occurred after the lounge closed while a large crowd was at the scene.

A motive for the shooting is unknown, and authorities can’t confirm or deny if the victims and suspected shooters knew each other before the altercation began.

Officers were on scene when gunshots were fired in the parking lot and they stopped a black Mercedes party van with 14 people inside.

One of the occupants, a 16-year-old male from Orange, reportedly ran from the van and was apprehended. Police said he had three guns on him, and police found five more in the van.

A grey GMC Sierra with two victims was located in a near-by Burger King parking lot of Phelan Boulevard. The driver suffered a non-life threatening injury and the passenger, identified as Geraldo Escamilla, 30, of Beaumont was dead.

Detectives interviewed witnesses and suspects and obtained warrants from murder and aggravated assault for Armani Rashad Wallace, 20, and Jaren Battles, 18, both from Orange.

More arrests are possible, police said.

Wallace and Battles were taken to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.

Bonds for both men are $950,000 for the murder charge and $500,000 for the aggravated assault charge, according to information from the jail.

The juvenile was arrested for evading arrest/detention, prohibited weapons and unlawful carrying of a weapon X2 and was transported to the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center.

“We are glad our officers were able to get the van stopped so quickly. They did a great job with such a huge scene,” Riley said. “We are still continuing to investigate.”