'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On October 13, the family of police shooting victim Erik Cantu denied any connection to Jesus Salazar, a man claiming to be Cantu's cousin in an interview with local TV station KENS5.
17-year-old Erik Cantu was shot on October 2, 2022, while eating in his car in the parking lot of a McDonalds. James Brennand, the officer who shot Cantu, arrived at the scene upon receiving a report that there was a suspicious figure in the area.
Following a brief exchange of words, Brennand shot Cantu when the latter didn't comply after he being asked to step out of the car. The officer has since been fired by San Antonio authorities. Cantu is currently admitted to the hospital, where he is undergoing several surgeries.
Yahoo reported that after the shooting, a man named Jesus Salazar told local reporters that he was Cantu's cousin. Salazar then proceeded to condemn the actions of the officer.
The Cantu family then released an official statement addressing the imposter through the San Antonio Current. The statement, delivered through family attorney Brian Powers, reads:
“Erik’s mother and father do not know who this person is. We don’t know this person’s motives in passing himself off as a family member, but it has caused added stress to this family’s life right now.”
KENS5 has since removed the segments featuring Salazar.
What did the imposter say about the Erik Cantu shooting?
According to Express News, Salazar told local reporters that Cantu suffered heart problems, brain damage and internal bleeding due to the shooting. However, the San Antonio Current claimed that this information is not truly reflective of Erik Cantu's condition.
Salazar also reportedly told local reporters that the officer involved in the case should not only apologize to the Cantu family, but also face attempted murder charges.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Cantu family attorney Brian Powers said that Salazar also falsely reported that the teen was in stable condition.
Powers said:
“We’d like to correct any misrepresentations that Erik is in ‘stable condition’ or he is ‘going to be fine. That is not true. Every breath is a struggle for Erik. We ask for everyone’s continued prayers for our son.”
On a GoFundMe page created to raise money for Erik Cantu's medical care, the victims' family reported that the teen is still currently on life support.
In an online post, KENS5 released an apology to the Cantu family for allowing the segment to air. Their statement read:
"In the story that aired Wednesday night, the man made several claims about the case and Erik Cantu’s condition. Based on information from the Cantu family lawyer and other information we’ve been able to uncover over the last several hours, we are retracting the report. The story did not meet our editorial standards, and we apologize to the Cantu family and our viewers."
No further information has been released on Jesus Salazar.
