17-year-old arrested for capital murder after shooting other teen, whose body was found in backyard

A 17-year-old has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of another teen, whose body was found in a backyard in the Yaupon Ranch subdivision last December.

Mark Leyva was taken into custody this week by a joint law enforcement task force, including Harris County Precinct 5 deputy constables. He was arrested without incident and is currently held in the Harris County Jail.

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The charge is tied to the death of 17-year-old Giovanni Cruz, who was discovered on the morning of Dec. 21, 2024, behind a home on Galleon Field Drive. Deputies responded around 10:30 a.m. after a neighbor found Cruz’s body in their backyard.

Investigators say Cruz had been shot in the chest. The night before, deputies say they responded to a call about gunfire in the area but didn’t find anything unusual at the time.

The case has been under investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office homicide and crime scene units, who identified Leyva as the suspect in the months following the shooting. A motive has not been released.

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Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the HCSO Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can remain anonymous.