Gang member sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing 5 in Houston murder spree

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) - Christian Cavazos reigned terror throughout 2019, and now the 22-year-old documented gang member will spend life in prison.

Cavazos pled guilty to murdering five people after prosecutors revealed some of the murders were captured on video and posted on social media platforms.

"He kept hunting my son down like an animal," Shamilwa McGowan said after Judge Te'iva Bell sentenced Cavazos.

McGowan's son, Ryan, was killed by Cavazos in September 2019. Ryan was shot to death in the backseat of a car in the 11300 block of Windfern in northwest Harris County.

McGowan was the first of three mothers of Cavazos' victims to take the stand during today's sentencing, where she blamed Cavazos for her pain. She looked straight at a stoic, emotionless Cavazos during her 10-minute statement.

"I'm not scared of you," she told Eyewitness News in a message to her son's killer. "I wanted him to know: I see you but I want you to see me. You didn't take my power."

Nineteen days after killing Ryan, Cavazos killed again. He murdered Ramiro and Rosalba (or Rosalva) Reyes in the early hours of September 25, 2019, as they parked their purple Dodge Charger in front of their house on Francitas Drive in northwest Harris County. The couple had just gotten home from the hospital after Rosalba's mother had died. The Reyes' murder was one of the first Courtney Fischer stories featured on ABC13's Unsolved series.

Cavazos thought the grandparents were rival gang members. He mistakenly shot them to death.

"It will affect our life for the rest of our lives," Roxanna Villarreal, the couple's only daughter, said.

Three months later, as Gonzalo Gonzalez , 20, shot a music video on Smart Street, Cavazos drove by in a car with other gang members, firing dozens and dozens of rounds. It was two days after Christmas. Gonzalo, a University of Houston student with a dream to shoot movies and write films, was hit multiple times. He died instantly.

Only on 13, see part of that video that helped investigators prove Cavazos was the killer.

"Seeing that video, it's like we have been there all along," Gloria Gonzalez, Gonzalo's mother said. "I heard the screams, the chaos, I felt the bullet hit me."

Jonathan Jimenez, a 22-year-old father, who was on camera in the rap video, was also killed. Seven other people were hurt, investigators said at the time.

"It's a struggle for us every day," Vicki Jimenez, Jonathan's mother, said after sentencing. "This young man has no idea the struggles we face daily."

Cavazos, and his gang, 10K, have been investigated for years by the feds and local authorities. They've seized high-powered rifles, handguns, drugs, and more than $20,000 in cash from his home and allege 10K's members have been responsible for multiple aggravated assaults and homicides in and around Harris County.

"I've been doing this for 10 years, I have never seen anybody like Mr. Cavazos and I don't know if I ever will see someone like Mr. Cavazos again," Napoleon Stewart, with the Harris County district attorney's office, said.

"Not only is he dangerous, he's reckless," Jack Ferrell, former Harris County Sheriff's Office detective who worked Cavazos's case for years, said.

In October 2023, another 10K documented gang member, Louis Santee , pleaded guilty to three counts of murder for his involvement in these cases. The then 25-year-old agreed to three 60-year prison sentences on the eve of his capital murder trial. Santee's sentence will run concurrently.

Kevin Badillo , who investigators say drove the getaway car in these murders, is also charged. He's due back in court next month.