Savanah Soto death: Suspect Christopher Preciado pins blame of pregnant teen’s murder on her boyfriend

Police believe the motive behind the double murder of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra, was a 'narcotics-related deal that went bad'
PUBLISHED JAN 8, 2024
Christopher Preciado has been charged with capital murder in connection to Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra's deaths (SAPD/FB)
Christopher Preciado has been charged with capital murder in connection to Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra's deaths (SAPD/FB)

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion is advised.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: 19-year-old Christopher Preciado has allegedly confessed to opening fire on pregnant teenager Savanah Soto and her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, blaming the latter for the gruesome crime.

Texas detectives, who have been investigating the case, were confronted by the teenager, who provided a disturbing account of the events leading up to the death of the young couple.

Christopher Preciado, 19 (SAPD)
Christopher Preciado has been charged with the couple's murder (SAPD)

What happened to Savannah Soto and Matthew Guerra?

Soto, 18, and Guerra, 22, went missing on December 22, just a day before she was scheduled to be induced to give birth to their unborn child, Fabian. A frantic search ensued, culminating in the discovery of their lifeless bodies inside a car in a San Antonio apartment complex parking lot on December 26.

Both victims succumbed to gunshot wounds to the back of their heads, with Soto tragically found holding a baby car seat meant for her unborn child.

The police who had listed both as missing found them dead in the car on Tuesday, 26 December after police were alerted about the car in an apartment complex in San Antonio (Leon Valley Police)
The police listed Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra as missing but later found them dead in the car on December 26 in San Antonio (Leon Valley Police)

San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) released surveillance footage that identified and led to the arrest of two persons of interest, Christopher and his father, Ramon Preciado, 53. Christopher faces charges of capital murder, while his father has been charged with the abuse of a corpse.

Ramon Preciado, 53 (SAPD)
Ramon Preciado allegedly assisted his son in hiding the couple's bodies (SAPD)

What was the motive behind the act of violence?

Christopher claimed that he had met with the couple for a marijuana deal, during which Guerra allegedly pointed a gun at him. In retaliation, the teenager allegedly engaged in a shootout, as per KENS. However, detectives found inconsistencies in the crime scene that cast doubt on Christopher's narrative.

Savanah Nicole Soto and her boyfriend Matthew Guerra were discovered dead in a car in San Antonio (Facebook and San Antonio Police Department)
Surveillance footage released by the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) displayed two persons of interest in the case of Savanah Nicole Soto and her boyfriend Matthew Guerra
(Facebook and San Antonio Police Department)

The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office is exploring additional charges against the father and son due to Soto's pregnancy. Further, SAPD Chief William McManus revealed suspicions that another individual might have been involved in moving the bodies, but no additional suspects have been named thus far.

Soto's family is grappling with the senseless loss of an innocent life, expressing their hope for justice. Her mother, Gloria, laments, "They took an innocent, an innocent girl that was going to be a mommy. They just took her life for nothing. I hope they pay for whatever they did to my daughter."

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