SAN ANTONIO — The mother of Joseph Banales, Francis Szabo, is reacting to an overnight arrest in the murder of her son.
It's been more than a year since Army Cadet Joseph Banales was shot and killed along Highway 35 in Selma.
Police say on the night of April 15, Banales was on his way home from a military ball when his car was found crashed into a concrete barrier. Authorities say he was found with a gunshot to the head.
Since that day, Joseph's mother Francis Szabo has been living a nightmare.
“17 months of agony, it's been a lot of unanswered questions,” says Szabo.
Police say the night of the crash, 29-year-old Jacob Serna and his wife stopped and told police they saw the crash and felt compelled to stop. Selma Police say dashcam video shows Serna, standing over Banales' body.
Serna's wife told police she saw a blue sports car similar in color to theirs drive up next to Banales and when he tried to merge, Banales lost control and crashed.
Selma Police say they interviewed Jacob Serna and his wife several times and their stories kept changing.
Police say after a third interview with Serna's wife, she admitted while she and Jacob were driving, Banales almost struck their car, making Jacob irate, leading him to shoot Banales.
“They took a beautiful person out of this world, someone that was loved by many, and they changed the trajectory of so many different lives. Because of the one act,” says Szabo.
Police say Serna admitted to having a gun the night of the crash, but said he pawned it. When it was recovered, police say testing shows it had similar characteristics to the round recovered from Banales.
Serna was arrested and booked into the Bexar County Jail and is facing a charge of murder. He was given a $100,000 bond.
"We just pray that moving forward that they are held accountable for their actions, because that's what life is all about, right? Every action has a consequence,” says Szabo.
Szabo says the arrest is bittersweet and brought back feelings of losing Joseph all over again, tonight she sends this message to Serna:
"I'd want them to know that Joseph's life meant something, and he was special, so very loved,” says Szabo.