Shawn Pivonka: Landlord's boyfriend fatally shoots Texas tenant who won 'illegal eviction' lawsuit

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: At a Texas apartment building, the boyfriend of the landlord shot and killed a tenant and father who had successfully appealed an eviction notice.

Shawn Pivonka, 37, has been charged with murder in the death of David Beck, 41. As reporters questioned Pivonka on Tuesday while he was led into the San Antonio Police Department headquarters while wearing handcuffs, he remained silent.

David Beck appealed for eviction

On December 14, when Beck attempted to deliver the notice of appeal to his landlord in the 1000 block of West Huisache Avenue, a fight broke out. Sgt Washington Moscoso stated during a press conference that police were called to the scene because there had been a shooting, KSAT reported.

When they arrived, they discovered Pivonka was still there and the victim had died. After speaking with the suspect and witness, the officers ascertained that the conflict was between a landlord and a tenant.

The victim had successfully appealed his eviction. He was going to deliver documentation of the "overturning of the illegal eviction" to his landlord that morning, according to Moscoso.

“The landlord obviously was upset about it,” the sergeant said, adding, “The landlord’s boyfriend got into the mix. Things escalated from that point.”

The suspect swung his fist aggressively in the direction of the victim, stopping just inches from his face.

“He stepped back and said, ‘Hey, take it easy. Don’t hit me,'” Moscoso said the victim told the suspect.

“The victim was carrying a weapon. He brought out his weapon in a defensive manner. The suspect was also carrying a firearm. He pulled out his weapon in an offensive manner and shot the victim, killing the victim on the scene,” Moscoso added.

Police initially refrained from arresting Shawn Pivonka

Moscoso claimed that while they looked into a potential case of self-defense, police initially refrained from making an arrest. Yet on December 20, following a review of the incident's video, police charged Pivonka with murder.

The neighbor across the street, Edward Gonzalez, reported hearing multiple gunshots to San Antonio's CBS affiliate KENS.

“I had just entered the restroom, and right when I sat down, I heard a gunshot and a lady scream, and then, like, maybe 10 seconds later, I heard five more shots,” Gonzalez said.

The victim's wife Olivia Beck told KSAT that her husband worked as a bartender and that they have a 4-year-old daughter, and she is expecting their second child.