HARLINGEN — Police said the gun used to shoot and kill Byron Pineda could not have been legally owned by the 16-year-old suspect who is charged with killing him.
The suspect is underage, making him ineligible to obtain a gun legally, police Sgt. David Osborne said.
Police are still investigating the shooting and trying to find out where the gun came from.
Pineda, 32, of Brownsville, was murdered early morning Jan. 20 at Rosemont Apartments, 1901 E. Tyler Ave., just east of 19th Street.
He died of a gunshot wound to the back after he allegedly was shot by a 16-year-old boy during an altercation at a party.
Osborne said Pineda got into a fight with the suspect’s friend.
That’s when Pineda apparently was shot.
Osborne also said Pineda and the suspect did not know each other, but knew of each other.
“They were not close friends,” Osborne said.
According to the case report, Pineda was driven to the hospital by two women.
Five other people have been arrested in connection with the case and charged with failing to report the crime right away, police said.
Charged with a Class A misdemeanor for failing to report a felony are Stephanie Lee Lopez, 31, Crystal Rae Ramos, 24, Lorraine Camero, 24, Isis Rene Rivera, 33, and Albert Alexander Hernandez, 21.
Osborne said they failed to call police or emergency services and failed to render aid to the victim.
The apartment renter, Ramos, will be charged with an additional third-degree felony for tampering with evidence, police said.
According to Osborne, Ramos tried to clean up blood from the crime scene before police arrived, destroying evidence.
Officers were called to Harlingen Medical Center at 2:07 a.m. Jan. 20 for a man who had died of a gunshot wound.
Investigators learned the shooting happened inside an apartment at the complex.
The 16-year-old Harlingen teen currently is being held at the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center in San Benito.
