'That'll Be Your Hell': Father Speaks Out After Son Killed In Alleged Drug Deal Gone Wrong

Christopher Preciado, the man charged with the murder of a pregnant woman, her unborn child and her partner in December 2023, will spend the rest of his life behind bars. The 290th District Court found him guilty on all three counts, the capital murders of Matthew Guerra, Savannah Soto and the couple's unborn baby, on Thursday, 26 March.

Present to witness the collective decision of the jury Thursday were several people identified as family and friends of Guerra. That included Guerra's father, Gabriel Guerra, who delivered an emotional statement directed at Preciado, KSAT reported.

'Him (Guerra) being born changed my life in more ways than I can ever say,' the elder Guerra said via News4 San Antonio. 'He made me a better person. ... The Bible speaks: 'The vengeance is His.' Your next stop is the penitentiary, and I believe with all my heart, that'll be your hell here on Earth before you go to hell for all eternity.'

The tone of the statements of the other people who made impact statements were practically the same. One appeared to be the grandmother of Savannah who blasted the accused for taking her granddaughter away from her.

'You're going to regret every day of your life for what you did to my granddaughter,' the woman said. 'Think about what you did.'

Self-Defense Argument Falls

It is worth noting that Guerra and Soto were into something shady. The former was allegedly a drug dealer per a report by KENS5. Prosecutor Melissa Aban explained this during her closing arguments, emphasizing that she never said the Guerra and Soto were angels. However, she added that this does not justify what happened to the couple.

As for Preciado's claim that he acted on self-defence, findings from the scene of the crime show otherwise. In the autopsy carried out by the Bexar County medical examiner, it was found that the gunshot wounds were consistent with an intentional shooting.

Aside from that, there were also surveillance videos that showed what really happened that day. In the captured footage, an individual could be seen exiting a grey Chevy Silverado and then speaking with a driver of Guerra's car, a Kia Optima.

Authorities were able to identify the people in the video and made the arrests on 3 January 2024. Aside from the then-19 year old suspect, also arrested was his father, Ramon Preciado. The elder Preciado was accused of helping his son move the bodies.

Moreover, Christopher's stepmother, Myrta Ramos, was also arrested. However, her case hardly progressed and was dismissed in November 2025.

Given the severity of the crime, Preciado could have been meted the death penalty. However, the Capital Crimes Committee of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office opted not to pursue it.

Several factors were considered. However, the fact that Preciado didn't have a significant criminal record stood out in not pursuing the death penalty, albeit the automatic sentence of life without parole for the accused.

The family of the victims were relieved upon hearing the verdict on Christopher Preciado. However, they are equally interested to find out what sanctions his father will face for being an accessory to the crime. Whatever happens, the family of Guerra and Soto vow to continue fighting to ensure that justice is served for the deaths of the couple and their unborn child.