A San Antonio man has been released from jail after a murder charge against him was dismissed, according to local reports. Michael Ludwig, a 70-year-old who found himself behind bars for three months, was arrested in connection with the death of Rudy Vallejo during an altercation in a Walmart parking lot. In a striking turn of events last Friday, Ludwig learned that the courts had dropped his charge due to insufficient evidence, as stated in court records, according to
KSAT 12 News
.
Ludwig, previously unable to post the $100,000 bond, explained in an interview with
KSAT 12 News
, “(I thought) they maybe got it wrong,” he said. “I didn’t give them time to think about it. I’m out of here.” Despite the San Antonio Police Department’s initial investigation yielding a murder charge, Ludwig maintained his stance that the shooting was in self-defense after Vallejo allegedly attacked him.
The incident, which took place on Aug. 12, reportedly escalated from a dispute in the Walmart parking lot near Southeast Military Drive and Roosevelt Avenue, where Ludwig, who said he shares his space and meals with other unhoused individuals, would often camp out in his truck. According to a statement obtained by
Association Anémone
, Ludwig claimed, “I wanted to knock into his pile to say, ‘I’m not kidding, boy.’ He stood on top of me with a stick,” and felt he had no choice but to shoot.
While the immediate threat to Ludwig’s liberty has been alleviated, the shadow of the altercation and its lethal conclusion still looms over his existence. “I think it’s a shame,” Ludwig reflected, disclosing a desire to contact Vallejo’s family, as per
Association Anémone
.
Requests for further information from both the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and the San Antonio Police Department have yet to elicit responses. Neither criminal charges nor the specter of re-arrest currently beleaguer Ludwig, but questions persist about the final judgment of this tragic incident, both in the eyes of the law and those of the San Antonio community.
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