The Brief
- Arlington police have arrested Mekel Gaston, 29, in connection with the April 2020 murder of Eugene Johnson, who was fatally shot during a robbery.
- The arrest on May 16, 2025, followed a breakthrough when a new witness provided information linking Gaston to the crime and similar robberies.
- Gaston allegedly lured Johnson by posing as a woman online; he now faces a capital murder charge and is held on a $1 million bond.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Arlington Police Department has made an arrest in connection to the April 2020 murder of 31-year-old Eugene Johnson, who was shot and killed during a robbery attempt at an apartment complex in the 800 block of N. Oak Street.
Investigators say earlier this year, detectives found a key witness who had not previously talked with detectives. The witness gave them information linking 29-year-old Mekel Gaston to previous armed robberies and the deadly shooting of Johnson in 2020.
Deadly 2020 Shooting
The backstory:
On April 28, 2020, at approximately 4:56 a.m., officers responded to the apartment complex after a resident reported seeing a man lying unresponsive in the parking lot. When officers arrived, they found the man, who was later identified as Eugene Johnson, had been shot. He died at the scene. …