Anthony Sanders would likely be alive today if he hadn’t confronted a young driver who blocked his exit from a Houston parking garage a month ago.
The 30-year-old Marine veteran had just picked up his fiancée and 10-month-old son from the Houston Galleria, where she worked. They were trying to leave the Orange parking garage on June 3 when two men blocked their car. Sanders stepped out to confront them —and seconds later, he was shot 10 times and killed.
A month later, two men — 22-year-old Justin Guzman and 23-year-old Marko Cinan — are facing murder charges in his death. One of them was arrested; the other suspect turned himself in last week.
“We’re here today because we just want justice for our son,” said Sanders’ mother, Ronyel Sanders. “Anthony passed away protecting his son and his fiancée. That’s what he does.”
In the days after the shooting, Sanders’ mother came across a video on TikTok that made her stomach turn. It featured Guzman dancing to hip-hop music while news clips of the shooting played in the background.
She immediately sent the video to prosecutors.
“They’re mocking my son’s death,” she said.
Her husband, Frank Sanders, said the family will keep speaking out — not just for justice, but to raise awareness.
“We are here for justice, just for Anthony,” he said. “And also to stand for what he stood for as a person, and also to bring awareness to what’s going on in today’s society here in Houston alone.”
Investigators learned the shooting had been preceded by an earlier encounter inside the Galleria, when Sanders’ fiancée was reportedly confronted by a group of men inside an elevator as she made her way out. Fearing for her safety, she called Sanders and relayed what had just happened. Sanders was already on the way to pick her up. Once they met up, she pointed out the men in the parking garage. Words were exchanged as both parties got in their cars to leave.
Moments later, as Sanders tried to pull off, Cinan “brake-checked” his car, forcing Sanders to slam the brakes. Sanders was furious. He threw the car in park and got out to confront the other driver. At that point, police alleged, both Guzman and Cinan opened fire — dropping Sanders to the pavement. The muzzle blasts continued as the car sped away, police said.
Sanders was killed instantly. Police said he was unarmed.
After catching up with one of the suspects, police found a gun inside Guzman’s car with 10 unspent rounds in a high-capacity clip.
During the recent preliminary hearing, Guzman’s attorney, Romy Kaplan, claimed Sanders was the one who escalated the situation. He maintains that Guzman acted in self-defense, telling reporters that Sanders was “the aggressor” and had walked toward Guzman with a knife.
“It’s a clear-cut case of self-defense,” Kaplan said. “What happened shouldn’t have happened. There’s no doubt about that somebody lost their life, but Justin Guzman did not provoke this encounter.”
However, prosecutors do not accept this claim, while investigators maintain that Sanders did not have a weapon before he was shot.
Kaplan added that Sanders had followed Guzman’s vehicle closely and was “continuing to provoke the situation that they’re dealing with.”
Guzman turned himself in on June 30, getting out of an Uber outside the Harris County Joint Processing Center with his lawyer at his side. His bond was set at $750,000, and he’s due back in court Wednesday. Cinan was arrested last week and remains jailed on a $1 million bond.
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