Updated 12:55 p.m. June 11, 2014

By Andy Sevilla

A Driftwood man accused of murder is behind bars after an hours-long manhunt in Western Hays County turned up the suspect.

Louis Antonio Ramos, 27, who is accused of fatally shooting a man June 4 in the Rolling Hills subdivision of Driftwood, was arrested 17 hours after allegedly fleeing an altercation during which, investigators said, he killed a 47-year-old man. 

Johnny Lee Saxon, who was found with a gunshot wound to the chest, died due to his injury despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts by first responders, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. 

At about 8 p.m. June 4, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting on Todo Lane in Driftwood. 

Jessica McGuire, the suspect’s wife, made the 911 call and reported her husband as the shooter, according to an affidavit used to secure a murder warrant for Ramos. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office reported early June 5 that Ramos may have been shot twice during his altercation with Saxon, though court documents state reports from the scene indicate Ramos arrived having been shot in the knee prior to the altercation.

Investigators said the investigation is ongoing and it is not yet clear where or when Ramos sustained a gunshot to his knee. Saxon was found with a shotgun lying next to his body, according to investigators. 

McGuire, who court records show lives at 400 Todo Lane, told investigators her husband had a gun prior to the shooting that left Saxon dead. 

Anita Saxon, 74, who owns the property at 500 Todo Lane where Johnny Saxon was found shot, also told investigators she saw Ramos with a gun at that home, though she didn’t see the shooting as the suspect exited the home, according to court documents.

It is not clear if Anita Saxon and Johnny Lee Saxon are related. Johnny Lee Saxon owns the property at 400 Todo Lane, according to Hays County Tax records. 

A little over 12 hours after the first reports of the shooting, deputies responded to the 100 block of Todo Lane where a brown van Ramos allegedly fled the scene in was found hidden in a wooded area. 

Several law enforcement agencies from Hays and Travis counties set up a search perimeter June 5 in the area of Mount Sharp and Coleman’s Canyon in Wimberley, after a citizen reported seeing a suspicious person matching Ramos’ description.

At about 2 p.m. that day officers, aided by air and K-9 units, caught and apprehended Ramos. The sheriff’s office reported Ramos as having a single gunshot wound to the leg when he was found, consistent with earlier reports by witnesses at the shooting scene.

Hays County Jail records show Ramos remained in Hays County custody as of Wednesday morning and is being held on a $300,000 bond for his murder charge.

The sheriff’s office reported Ramos as having an extensive criminal history. Hays County Jail records show Ramos has been arrested at least 12 times dating back to 2006, though many of those cases were dismissed. 

Updated 4:01 p.m. June 5, 2014

Hays County Justice of the Peace Beth Smith, Pct. 2, confirmed Thursday afternoon that Louis Antonio Ramos, Jr., is now in police custody. He was charged with murder for the shooting death of Johnny Lee Saxon, which took place Wednesday evening. Ramos fled the scene following the incident. The arrest affidavit indicates that Ramos sustained a gunshot injury to his knee prior to the altercation with Saxon.

Updated 11:25 a.m. June 5, 2014

A 27-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting another man in an apparent altercation Wednesday is on the run.

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Louis Antonio Ramos, Jr., for allegedly shooting Johnny Lee Saxon, 47, in the chest before fleeing the scene in a brown colored van with unknown license plates, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.

At about 8 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to the 400 block of Todo Lane in Driftwood for a reported assault in progress. When deputies arrived they found Saxon with shot wounds to the chest, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities administered CPR, but Saxon succumbed to his gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.

Ramos, who authorities said may have been shot twice during the altercation , is reportedly armed with an unknown weapon, the statement said.

Hays County Jail records show Ramos as having a Wimberley address. He has previously been arrested 11 times in Hays County on charges including assault, burglary, possession of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct displaying a firearm.

The case remains under investigation, according to Hays County Sheriff’s Office officials, and no further details are available.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office at (512) 393-7896 or Hays County Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 324-TIPS (8477).

Any information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect will be eligible for a $1,000 cash reward.