EDINBURG — A psychologist said Thursday that a man accused in a mass shooting at a Palmview H-E-B in 2016 suffers from schizophrenia, has the continued potential to commit serious bodily injury to others and that if left untreated, his condition will continue to deteriorate.
The opinion came from Gregorio Piña, a court-appointed psychologist who found 31-year-old Mission resident Raul Lopez competent to stand trial on a charge of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a count of attempted capital murder of multiple persons.
Lopez is accused of firing at least 15 shots from a 9mm Desert Eagle handgun at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 28, 2016, into the breakroom of the grocery store at Goodwin Road and U.S. Expressway 83.
Lopez’s shots hit 48-year-old Mario Pulido eight times in the back and once in the leg. Bullets also hit and injured Billy Joe Martinez, then 33, Rafael Martinez, then 37, and Frailan Garza, then 51.
López has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is pursuing an insanity defense.
A court-appointed forensic psychiatrist called to the stand by defense attorneys previously testified that Lopez is a schizophrenic and that he did not understand what he did that night was wrong because voices the man heard told him he needed to shoot to protect his family.
On Thursday, the state called Piña to the stand, who also testified that in 2018 — at the time of the competency examination — Lopez suffered from mild to moderate paranoid schizophrenia.
He also testified that he told Lopez that if he was found to be a permanent danger to society, he could be a candidate for being forced into lifelong in-patient treatment, which, the forensic psychologist said, could be longer than any sentence he might receive if convicted.
Minutes before the trial began last week, prosecutor Maggie Hinojosa offered Lopez a plea deal of life in prison if he pleaded guilty. He rejected it.
As for Piña’s testimony, he also said that he found Lopez exaggerated symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, such as the voices he hears, for personal benefit.
The forensic psychologist noted that the symptoms Lopez expressed to him during their three in-person meetings did not square with the man’s behavior during those meetings.
He also said Lopez avoided talking to him about the shooting at H-E-B.
Piña also diagnosed Lopez with intermittent explosive disorder because he experiences outbursts of anger or violence that are disproportionate to the situation.
The state also called Johanna Torres-Santiago, a psychiatrist who works for Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, to the stand.
Torres, who provides services to people being held at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center, diagnosed Lopez with a panic disorder.
However, she said after her last meeting with Lopez she was exploring whether he was suffering from an unspecified psychosis or was lying about his symptoms for personal gain.
She was never able to come to a conclusion because Lopez later refused to go to a follow-up appointment.
Prosecutors thus far have indicated they believe Lopez was disgruntled at work and shot his co-workers just 12 days after a write-up that placed him one step away from being fired.
Lopez also had a short verbal confrontation with a co-worker over a dropped pickle jar on the day of the shooting.
Testimony continues Friday morning.
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Palmview H-E-B shooting suspect was inching toward termination
Psychiatrist says H-E-B shooting suspect suffers from schizophrenia
Palmview H-E-B ‘mass shooting’ trial may come down to a battle of the experts
