A husband and father of eight from Texas was killed in front of his wife for petting a neighbor’s dog, whose owner was 18 years old at the time. On Wednesday, the person who killed him was given at least 20 years in state prison.
On December 28, 2021, five days after Christmas, Valentin Gonzales IV and his wife Brittney Clark-Gonzales saw a dog outside of the Branch at Medical Center apartment complex that was not on a leash.
They decided to pet the dog. Soon after, Jordan Eaton, who was now 21 years old and angry, came out with a gun and yelled obscenities at the couple. She then tried to shoot Clark-Gonzales and killed her husband while the victim tried to protect her.
In the tears that followed the shooting, Clark-Gonzales said that Eaton had told her, “You can not touch my dog!” “I do not f— with you, I do not f— with any of you,” he told KSAT, a local ABC station.
Even though Eaton ran away and later said he was acting in self-defense, CCTV footage from nearby cellphones showed him shooting at Clark-Gonzales and Valentin Gonzales punching Eaton back.
Eaton is said to have said in court that he “tried not to acknowledge” the victims because he had “previous issues” with them and that petting his puppy made him lose it.
He is said to have said, “I just wanted them to leave me alone.” “I did not mean to shoot anyone.”
In Bexar County, though, Eaton did shoot Valentin Gonzales, which is why he was found guilty of murder. For shooting at Clark-Gonzales, he was also found guilty of aggravated assault.
People who knew Eaton begged for a lighter sentence so that the killer could get a second chance and be a part of his son’s life.
In the end, Eaton got 20 years in prison for killing Gonzales and 10 years for attacking Clark-Gonzales. However, the 10 years were said to be “probated,” which means they were to be served on probation.
Gonzales was remembered as a “caring” and kind man who loved his family in his obituary.
“He did so many amazing things, like going to college when he was 15 and taking care of his family, whom he loved very much.” He married at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and went there. He was also a member of the Elders Quorum there.
The obituary said, “His kindness knew no bounds; he would give to anyone in need.” “He made people around him want to be better.” His family was very important to him, and he loved making memories with them.
Valentin made everyone around him very happy. We loved how kind he was, and his family, friends, and everyone else who knew him will miss him a lot.
