TEXARKANA -- A man sought by Texarkana police in a shooting last week that left two people dead was already wanted by Texas authorities.
Texarkana police announced Monday that a capital murder warrant was issued for 27-year-old Justin Demone Johnson.
Two men were shot to death about midnight last Friday at the Beacon Point Apartments in what police described as a home invasion. Illegal drugs, money and weapons were found at the scene, police said.
Trevon Staten, 22, was found dead in a bedroom, while the body of Julian Bolton, 33, was found outside.
A pregnant woman holding a young child who was present at the time of the deadly confrontation was unharmed, Texarkana police spokesman Kristi Bennett said. Bennett said more arrests are expected in the case.
A warrant for Johnson's arrest already existed at the time of the shooting. Probation officials in Bowie County acquired a warrant for Johnson in October 2014, after filing a motion to revoke his probation on a misdemeanor drug charge.
Johnson received a one-year term of probation in April 2013 for possession of liquid codeine cough medicine without a prescription. The probation was later extended for six months.
The violations in the motion to revoke his probation included allegations that two drug tests were positive for marijuana, he failed to submit to drug testing, failed to report to his probation officer, failed to complete community service restitution and failed to pay court-ordered fees.
Jack Pappas, chief of Bowie County Community Supervision and Corrections, said Johnson is now considered a parole absconder.
Less than a year before Johnson was assessed the misdemeanor probation in Bowie County, he was acquitted by a jury in Albuquerque, N.M., of criminal charges including two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and abuse of a child causing great harm or death, according to New Mexico court records.
The records show Johnson was acquitted of the charges July 13, 2012, at the end of a five-day trial. A single count of evidence tampering was dismissed by the court.
According to media reports in New Mexico, Johnson was accused of killing two brothers -- one of whom was 15 -- and of critically injuring a woman in a drug-related shooting in April 2010.
Johnson was arrested by Texarkana, Texas, police in May 2010 and extradited to New Mexico for trial, media reports state.
State Desk on 11/26/2015