Man shot during fight over money

By Patrick Yost
Editor

    Eloy Reyes Escabodo, a 36–year–old Greensboro man, was shot and killed Thursday after he allegedly attacked a Buckhead man at his residence.
    Morgan County Sheriff Robert Markley said investigators with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are treating the shooting as a “death investigation.” Stan Schroeder, 33, shot and killed Escabodo, authorities said, after Escabodo came to Schroeder’s Blue Springs Court home and demanded money for a job. Schroeder told police that the demand became violent and Escabodo attacked him with a knife.
    Escabodo was shot in a neighbor’s side yard, approximately 75 yards from the back door of Schroeder’s residence. “We’re thinking right now it’s self defense,” Markley said.
    Investigators sealed the scene with crime tape and searched the grounds for evidence for more than five hours Thursday. Markley said Schroeder called 911 after shooting Escabodo and told authorities that he had shot him. Emergency workers arrived within eight minutes of the shooting, Markley said. Escabodo was pronounced dead at the scene by Morgan County Coroner Adam Carter.
    Schroeder is the owner of Concrete Constructors and Escabodo was a contractor with the firm. “It was an issue of money. He was demanding money for a job and Schroder’s position was he wasn’t going to pay him until the job was done,” Markley said.
    Markley said Escabodo arrived at Schroeder’s Blue Springs Court home at approximately 7 a.m. A fight erupted near Schroeder’s back door and spilled into a neighbor’s yard. At some point during the fight, Markley said, Schroeder’s wife, Audrey, exited the residence with a  pistol and demanded the fight cease. Audrey said Monday that Escabodo threatened Schroeder with a knife moments after he arrived.
    At some point during the fight, Schroeder separated himself from Escabodo, took the pistol from his wife and shot the man, Schroeder told authorities.
    Escabodo was struck in the side and the .45 caliber bullet exited through his chest, investigators said. Schroeder told authorities that moments before he fired, Escabodo allegedly was slashing at him with a knife. Authorities located a folding knife near Escabodo’s body, Markely said. The pistol was dropped approximately 30 feet away from Escabodo’s body.
    “At this time we have not filed any charges,” Markley said.