Suspect in Fort Worth insurance feud killing lied about victim having weapon: police

In Laterica Johnson’s account, the threat to her life last Friday in a southeast Fort Worth parking lot was so significant that she had no choice but to fire her silver and black 9mm Smith and Wesson.

Two women were standing before Johnson. One held a baseball bat, she would tell a homicide detective. The other had a knife, she said. A pickup truck blocked Johnson from leaving.

None of Johnson’s story is true, police say.

Video surveillance from Don’s Seafood, the restaurant at which the shooting occurred, belies Johnson’s telling of the encounter, according to the arrest warrant affidavit the detective submitted to a municipal court judge in support of Johnson’s booking on suspicion of murder in the death of 18-year-old Jenny Rosales.

Johnson shot Rosales in the chest outside the restaurant in the 5100 block of Wichita Street.

Johnson left the parking lot, called 911 and waited for officers at another location.

Before the shooting, Johnson and Rosales’ mother had been involved in a minor car accident.

In an interview with Fort Worth Police Department homicide Detective Tom O’Brien, Johnson said that she provided her insurance information and the other driver, who only spoke Spanish, declined to provide information. Johnson left and went to Don’s Seafood for snow cones.

Johnson, who is 47 years old, said that as she and her son were parked outside the restaurant, three vehicles pulled in.

Two women armed with weapons approached, Johnson told police.

Johnson said that they threatened her and said the only way she was leaving was in a body bag, according to the affidavit. Johnson said that one of the women struck her vehicle with the baseball bat while threatening her life.

Johnson said that her son got out of the car to protect her and when she saw a woman hit him, Johnson got out of the car and shot the woman. Johnson said that is when another woman pushed her and Johnson fired shots at her, according to the affidavit.

“The statement she provided was clearly not true due to the entire incident being captured on video surveillance,” Detective O’Brien wrote in the affidavit. “It’s clear that all of the details she provided as justification for using deadly force [were] a lie as none of them are consistent with the video of the incident.”

Beyond Johnson, detectives interviewed three witnesses: Johnson’s son and Rosales’ girlfriend and mother.

Johnson’s son said that women were arguing with his mother about sharing the insurance information. He said when one of the women stood in front of the car so they could not leave, he got out and asked her to move. The woman slapped him, he punched her and his mother shot her, he said.

Johnson fired from the driver’s seat and shot through the passenger window, according to the affidavit.

Johnson’s son, whose name is redacted from the affidavit, initially told police that the other women had a knife and a gun, but then he recanted that information.

“After being confronted with the fact that there was video of the incident he changed his story and admitted that the female never hit him prior to his mom shooting her.” Detective O’Brien wrote.

Jenny Rosales’ girlfriend told O’Brien that Rosales received a call from her mother asking her to go to Don’s Seafood to try to get insurance information from a person who was involved in a traffic accident, according to the affidavit.

The girlfriend, whose name is redacted from the affidavit, said that she and Rosales drove to the restaurant, found the person they believed to have been involved and asked about getting her insurance information.

The girlfriend said Johnson declined to provide that information because Johnson said that she had done that previously.

The girlfriend said that Rosales and Johnson were getting aggressive in their tones as they argued, and at one point Johnson showed them that she had a handgun.

The girlfriend said the person in the back seat got out of Johnson’s vehicle and came at Rosales in a fighting stance, but they never physically fought, according to the affidavit.

She said when Johnson’s son got out to fight, Johnson left the car with her handgun and pointed it at her and others, according to the affidavit.

Rosales’ girlfriend said when Johnson and her son got back in the car, Johnson tried to drive away, and the girlfriend stepped in front of the car and told them to wait for the police.

Rosales’ girlfriend said Johnson drove into her, hitting her legs and forcing her to fall, according to the affidavit. The girlfriend then heard two gunshots and saw Rosales fall to the ground, she said.

Rosales’ mother told police that she saw Johnson shoot her daughter after hitting her girlfriend with the car.

The video confirms the account given by Rosales’ girlfriend and mother, according to the affidavit.

Jenny Rosales’ brother, Fernando Rosales, organized a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses.

Jenny “was so young, full of joy, very hard headed and stubborn but I admired that most from her,” her brother wrote. “She was fearless and wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone and I believe that was her greatest asset. Brave till her last moments protecting her own and her partner.”

Johnson is being held in the Tarrant County Jail with bond set at $500,000.