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Police allege Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 57, confronted Joss and his
husband on June 1 as they were checking their mail at their San
Antonio home, which had been burned down in January.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has claimed the person
who killed the actor yelled “violent homophobic slurs” before
opening fire.
Ceja Alvarez’s attorneys did not immediately return emails
seeking comment Wednesday.
In June, Alfonso Otero, one of Ceja Alvarez’s attorneys, said
his client was innocent and denied making any homophobic
statements.
The grand jury returned the indictment Monday, and Ceja Alvarez
remains free on a $200,000 bond.
A friend of the 59-year-old Joss has said that Joss and Ceja
Alvarez were neighbors and the two had argued for years.
Initially, San Antonio police had said there was no evidence
indicating the shooting was related to Joss’ sexual orientation.
But San Antonio Police Chief William McManus later walked back
that statement, saying it had been “premature” and that whether
Joss’ sexual orientation played a role in the shooting was "part
of the investigation.”
The district attorney’s office said in a statement Wednesday
that Ceja Alvarez “is charged with murder, which is the most
serious charge applicable to this crime under Texas law. As the
case is still pending, no additional details or information can
be released at this time."
Under Texas law, a hate crime — if there’s a conviction — would
be handled as an enhancement during sentencing and not as a
separate charge.
Joss was the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character
on the popular “King of the Hill” animated series, which ran for
13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show, which Joss
had already worked on, premiered in August.
Joss also had a recurring role on the television show “Parks and
Recreation,” playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two
episodes of the series “Tulsa King” in 2022.
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