A Harlingen man accused in the shooting death of a Harlingen High School teenager has been indicted on a murder charge.
Cameron County court records indicate Phillip Michael Martinez, 19, is scheduled to appear before 107th state District Court Judge Benjamin Euresti Jr., on Jan. 26, to be formally arraigned on not only one count of murder, but three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Christopher Angel Perales, 17, a senior at Harlingen High School, was shot and killed on Oct. 6, 2021, at the Sunshine Apartments, located at the 1600 block of Sam Houston Boulevard. Three others were also injured.
According to a Cameron County indictment, Martinez “did then and there intentionally or knowingly cause the death of an individual, namely, Christopher Perales, by shooting Christopher Perales with a firearm.”
The indictment states Martinez also shot and wounded Richard David Perales, Christopher’s brother. Martinez, “did then and there intentionally knowingly, or recklessly cause bodily injury to Richard David Perales by shooting Richard David Perales with a firearm and the defendant did then and there exhibit a deadly weapon, to-wit: a firearm, during the commission of said assault,” according to the record.
Harlingen police investigators had said they also linked 18-year-old Deann Ruiz to the case. She was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence, authorities said.
Perales was a member of the basketball team, an auto collision student and a leader in his church.
Martinez remains jailed at a Cameron County facility.
