On November 26, 1994, Rocha and one codefendant murdered a security guard at an apartment complex in Houston. Rocha had been involved in a physical confrontation with the security guard a week before the murder.
On the night of the murder, Rocha and his codefendant approached the security guard and attempted to take his gun. The security guard was shot twice in the face, resulting in his death. The codefendant took the victim's gun and pager.