A 60-year-old Pharr man pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to allegations that he killed his brother in April during the course of a robbery.
David Sandoval appeared in-person in front of state District Judge Fernando Mancias to be arraigned on an indictment charging him with capital murder and tampering with evidence over the death of his brother, 66-year-old Ruben Sandoval.
He’s accused of using a pickax and an “unknown object” to kill his brother on April 20.
An “unidentified witness” said David confessed to causing Ruben’s death over $100, according to a probable cause affidavit for David’s arrest.
Authorities recovered Ruben’s body on April 21 just before 5 p.m. in the bed of his truck, which was at Memorial Park in Pharr.
The responding officers reported that Ruben had multiple head injuries.
He had been reported missing earlier that day and his family members indicated to police that they suspected David was a person of interest in the disappearance, according to the affidavit.
On Wednesday, David and Ruben’s brother and two sisters, along with Ruben’s common-law wife, observed David’s arraignment from the courtroom.
The family had also been present at David’s first appearance in Pharr Municipal Court.
David has been held without bond on the capital murder charge since his arrest and has a $10,000 bond the tampering with evidence charge.
After his arraignment, David’s defense attorney, O. Rene Flores, asked Mancias, the judge, to set David’s bond at $100,000 while the prosecutor, Juan Bazan, recommended a $1 million bond.
Mancias set David’s bond on the capital murder charge at $250,000 after brief argument from attorneys.
Roel Pecina, 53, is also charged in the case. He’s been indicted on a charge of tampering with evidence over allegations he helped David clean up blood.
Pecina remains jailed on a $5,000 bond in that case on Aug. 25.
He also faces a misdemeanor charge of failure to report a felony involving death and has a $2,500 bond on that allegation.
