SAN ANTONIO — UPDATE:
Alana Castaneda said that the person who shot her was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
On July 14, 2023, Castaneda made a Facebook post about the sentencing.
"Today I faced him in court and he was sentenced to 45 years. I'm going through so many emotions right now."
Court records confirmed that Julio Caesar Rivera, who just turned 20, received a 45-year sentence.
Original story:
Two new aggravated robbery charges have been added to the list of accusations against the man already charged with shooting a young woman in the face at the Quarry Market last week.
Affidavits filed on Tuesday involve a carjacking at a QT store on Highway 87 East on Oct. 12 and another armed carjacking on Oct. 18 in the parking garage of North Star Mall. As in the previous two cases, both victims in the new charges are women.
San Antonio Police say 18-year-old Julio Caesar Rivera is linked to all the crimes. In addition to the state charges, he is also being held in jail on a federal detainer and is not eligible for bond.
Meanwhile, the woman attacked at the Quarry is out of the hospital and on the mend.
Full of positive energy and focused on healing, Alana Castaneda said, "I am full of happiness! It's a miracle that I'm here. I feel very loved."
Castaneda said she credits her survival to a number of blessings that aligned at the exact right moment.
Saying she was feeling energized after leaving a Krav Maga self-defense class, Castaneda said she didn't panic when she found a gun to her head after leaving Whole Foods with a sandwich.
"Being so pumped from that class saved my life," Castaneda said. "I fought back. I had courage and bravery and my heart did not freeze."
Castaneda said she plans to return to class as soon as she is strong enough, and recommends the training for everyone.
"I would like to tell people to make sure you do something to defend yourself because it can happen anywhere at any time to anybody."
Castaneda said when the armed man smashed her temple with his pistol, she used her training to punch the man, hard, twice. Saying his aggressive behavior was enough to make her believe she was about to die, she had to act.
Thanking her trainers, Castaneda said being prepared is both physical and mental. "It is all in the mind because you are more than just your body," she said.
After the shot rang out though, Castaneda said she ran back to the store and into the arms of the woman who had just prepared her sandwich.
"I owe my life to her. She did not leave my side. She was a complete stranger but she told me she loved me," Castaneda said, adding that the woman used both of her hands to stop the massive bleeding from her critical wound.
Once in the ambulance, Castaneda said she was in and out of consciousness but clearly remembers one of the medics giving her the best possible news.
"One of the paramedics said, 'We got him!' and I was like, 'Now I'm really going to by OK!,'" Castaneda said.
After learning that Rivera has been linked to at least three other attacks, Castaneda said she's exceptionally grateful the the man is being held without bond.
"I do not want him to do this to anybody else and we do not need him out there with innocent women and children," Castaneda said.
Reacting to the treatment she received at Brooke Army Medical Center, Castaneda said, "I'm blessed because there are phenomenal doctors and everyone was so supportive," adding that the support continues from the community at large.
Grinning and laughing a bit through the pain, Castaneda said, "It's beautiful! I can't keep the smile off my face."
Castaneda said she has received thousands of messages through social media, with everyone sending prayers and positive energy.
"I have never felt this much love in my life and it's something I can't even describe but I feel like I'm on top of the world," Castaneda said.
Reserving her most heartfelt praise for her parents, Castaneda said while she was on the pavement, teetering between life and death, she chose life because she didn't want her family to suffer.
"In those moments when I was drifting off and I was covered in blood I thought I have to be there, like I'm not ready to leave the physical world yet," Castaneda said. "That was the hardest part, actually, I was choosing between going or staying and I chose to stay."
Thanksgiving this year, she said, will be especially meaningful.
"Every day is Thanksgiving because I appreciate everything. Just going outside and breathing fresh air because it's extra crisp to me. Just laying in soft blankets and being comfortable. Everything. Life has completely changed," Castaneda said. "Life is worth living."