Two men remain jailed after Edinburg police allege they held a woman hostage as collateral during a drug deal.
Investigators arrested 23-year-old San Juan resident Roman Jay Rubalcaba and 36-year-old Alamo resident Manuel Guilbe Rivera on July 10 after a traffic stop in the 2600 block of Agave Avenue. Both men face charges of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and various drug charges.
The arrests happened after an unknown caller alerted Edinburg police to a burglary in progress on Agave Avenue that involved a red Dodge Charger and people with weapons.
An officer who responded was able to pull over the vehicle and ordered a woman named Jalen Parrao to exit the front passenger side of the vehicle, authorities say.
“Jalen advised the officers at location that she had been taken against her will at gunpoint and that she wished to file charges,” a probable cause affidavit stated.
According to Jalen, she was hanging out with her friend Veronica and driving around in a white Chevrolet Spark when the pair went to the McDonalds at 1605 E. University Drive to meet with a man named Ricco, who was later identified as Rivera, the charging document stated.
“Jalen will testify that Veronica and Ricco were trying to meet with the driver of a Chrysler Sedan for a drug deal, she knew this because at one point she heard Veronica say that she wanted her cut,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
Veronica then told the woman to go back to the vehicle with Rivera so that she could make sure that he could get in touch with the driver of the Chrysler, authorities say. Both Rivera and Rubalcaba were armed, the charging document stated.
“Jalen will testify that Ricco told her to get inside the Dodge Charger in a stern voice. Jaylen [sic] will testify that at this point she was scared for her life because she knows the things that he has done in the past,” according to a probable cause affidavit. “Jaylen [sic] stated that she did not want for Ricco to hurt her so she complied and went inside the Charger.”
While she was in the vehicle, police say she sent a friend a message on social media and that friend called her. When the friend called, Rivera demanded her phones, authorities say.
“Jaylen [sic] will testify that Ricco told her that she wasn’t going anywhere,” the probable cause affidavit stated. “Ricco also told her that he did not want her but was holding her because he needed to get Veronica if the deal went bad.”
Rivera remains jailed on $175,000 in bonds while Rubalcaba remains jailed on $185,000 in bonds.
