The first of two suspects accused in an Oct. 14 shooting in Mission that claimed the life of a 22-year-old man and injured his younger brother is set to be arraigned Monday on charges of murder and attempted capital murder.
A Hidalgo County grand jury on Jan. 27 indicted 31-year-old Mission resident Ricardo Adrian Mata and 21-year-old Peñitas resident Jose Maria Victoria on the charges.
Mata is scheduled for arraignment Monday and Victoria is scheduled for his arraignment on Wednesday.
The men are accused of shooting and killing 22-year-old Leonardo Veliz and injuring his brother 21-year-old Peñitas Emmanuel Veliz.
A third man, 27-year-old Mission resident Obed Peña, is also charged with murder and attempted capital murder and remains a fugitive.
Deputies found Emmanuel and Leonardo at around 3:32 p.m. in the area of 6 Mile Line and Bentsen Palm Drive. They had both been shot.
The investigation revealed that the brothers had been in an armed confrontation with Victoria and Peña prior to the shooting at the Stripes on FM 492 and State Highway 107 in Mission, where Victoria is accused of trying to assault Leonardo with a brown handgun, according to affidavits.
Those documents indicate the brothers shared their location with the men to drop something off, but it’s not publicly disclosed what that is.
Investigators charged Mata because a Chevrolet truck he was driving was seen driving away from the shooting, and authorities say he confessed his involvement to an ex-girlfriend, according to the affidavits, which also says officials uncovered phone records between him and Peña from the day of the shooting.
The brothers were hit by gunfire during a car chase following the armed confrontation.
Emmanuel is also facing charges from Oct. 14 that include three burglary of a vehicle charges and a burglary of a habitation charge.
It’s not clear whether those charges are related to the shooting or armed confrontation.
Records obtained by The Monitor also reveal that the brothers and Victoria previously knew each other and that all three were involved in an alleged May 2019 kidnapping where Emmanuel was shot.
That case is unrelated and they were the alleged victims.
Mata and Victoria remain in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on the murder and attempted murder charges while Emmanuel also remains jailed on the burglary charges.
Anyone with information concerning Peña’s whereabouts is asked to call the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at (956) 383-8114 and those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (956) 668-8477.
