Man allegedly searched online if it was ‘illegal to kill an illegal immigrant’ before fatally shooting fiancé

BAYTOWN, Texas (TCN) — Police recently arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of fatally shooting his 27-year-old fiancé in the head and staging it as a suicide.

On Jan. 14, at around 5:30 a.m., Baytown Police responded to an apartment complex on Crosby Cedar Bayou after Ty Vaughn called law enforcement and claimed he had discovered his fiancé, Luis Banos, deceased. Responding officers found Banos with a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide.

According to police, Vaughn made “inconsistent statements” throughout the investigation. Prosecutor Michael Hanover told KHOU-TV, “There were some indications, including blood on the bed away from the position that the complainant was found in, that the scene had been tampered with, essentially.”

Detectives also reportedly discovered Vaughn had looked up, “Is it illegal to kill an illegal immigrant?” online before allegedly fatally shooting Banos. Vaughn later told investigators that the victim “lacked legal status,” KRIV-TV reports. Vaughn allegedly staged Banos’ body to appear as a suicide following his death.

On March 7, officials arrested Vaughn, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted a charge of murder. Vaughn remains held in the Harris County Jail on $500,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 30.

Chief of Police John Stringer said, “On behalf of the entire Command Staff, we are extremely proud of the teamwork demonstrated by the men and women of the Baytown Police Department in the quick response and investigation that led to this arrest. We have committed ourselves to ensuring that violent offenders are identified and brought to justice through timely, professional police services.”

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