Manuel Garza Jr received a lethal injection yesterday evening for the slaying of San Antonio Police Officer John "Rocky" Riojas. The officer was part of a team targeting property crimes at apartment complexes in February 2001 when he stopped Garza.
Garza ran, Riojas chased him down and then was fatally shot during a struggle.
Garza, now 35, was 20 at the time but had a long criminal record. No last-day appeals had been filed to delay his execution.
