SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man who spent the past three months in jail after being arrested on murder charges is now a free man.

Michael Ludwig, 70, said he was in jail unable to post $100,000 bail when he suddenly learned on Nov. 1 that the charge against him had been dropped.

Ludwig spoke to KSAT 12 News Friday morning. He said he wanted to set the record straight.

“(I thought) maybe they made a mistake,” Ludwig said. “We didn’t give them time to think about it. I’m out of here.”

As we reported on August 12, San Antonio police arrested him in connection with the shooting death of 37-year-old Rudy Vallejo.

Officers said the two men were involved in a dispute in the Walmart parking lot near Southeast Military Drive and Roosevelt Avenue.

At the time, police reported that Ludwig claimed the shooting was in self-defense, though the SAPD investigation ultimately led to a felony charge against him.

Ludwig still claims he was protecting himself.

He said he often camps out in his truck in the Walmart parking lot, sleeping and cooking meals he shares with other homeless people.

Ludwig said Vallejo had previously approached him there and threatened him.

On the morning of August 12, Ludwig said Vallejo tried to physically attack him, so he shot him.

“I wanted to knock into his pile to say, ‘I’m not kidding, boy.’ He stood on top of me with a stick,” Ludwig said. “He didn’t give me a choice. I couldn’t escape a warning shot.”

While in prison, Ludwig said he feared he might not see the light of day again.

Suddenly, however, Ludwig learned that he was being released, the charge against him being dismissed.

Court records show the charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

KSAT 12 News called and emailed the Bexar County District Attorney Friday for more information about the reason for the firing.

KSAT also emailed SAPD to ask if the case was still under investigation and if charges could be filed against Ludwig in the future.

No agency responded with answers to these questions.

Meanwhile, Ludwig returned to the campsite in his truck.

But he still thinks about what happened and the man he said he was forced to kill.

“I think it’s a shame,” Ludwig said. “I would like to contact the family.”

More coverage of this story on KSAT: