Background: A section of Englewood Drive in San Antonio, Texas (Google Maps). Inset: Joseph Aleman (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office).
A Texas resident is facing the likelihood of spending the remainder of his life in prison after being convicted of the brutal murder of a friend with a sword, followed by a chilling call to law enforcement to reveal the crime.
Joseph Aleman, 34, was handed a 56-year prison sentence for the “violent murder of his friend, Victor Ochoa,” the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office announced. This sentence comes on the heels of Aleman being found guilty of murder.
The tragic incident unfolded on August 26, 2022, when Aleman and his 62-year-old friend, Ochoa, were at Aleman’s residence on Englewood Drive in San Antonio, Texas. During their time together, Aleman fatally stabbed Ochoa several times with a sword and subsequently dialed 911.
“Aleman contacted 911 to report that he had killed someone,” stated the District Attorney’s office. According to a report by local NBC affiliate WOAI, Aleman shared a series of bizarre statements with the authorities, including a claim of discovering the “stairway to heaven.”
When law enforcement arrived, Aleman guided them inside his home, leading them to Ochoa’s lifeless body, which bore multiple fatal stab wounds inflicted by a sword, as detailed by the prosecutors. The gruesome scene included Ochoa’s body lying in a pool of blood, leading to Aleman’s immediate arrest.
In the course of his arrest, police discovered that Aleman had an outstanding warrant for a prior kidnapping charge. Earlier in April 2022, he allegedly attacked and forcibly confined his ex-girlfriend, suspecting her of murdering his mother and burying her beneath his home, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by the local news outlet.
Aleman was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial for both the murder and kidnapping cases. However, after he was treated in a state hospital, a judge last year determined that he was competent, and the murder case moved forward. Aleman faces trial in January 2026 for the alleged kidnapping.
“I am incredibly proud of the prosecution team’s unwavering commitment to this case,” Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said following the sentencing. “Their dedication ensured that every fact was brought to light and ultimately, the truth prevailed in court.”
