The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two suspects charged in the death of a 6-year-old girl and say investigators are searching for more people involved in the fatal drive-by shooting.
The sheriff’s office has charged 43-year-old Edinburg resident Daniel Guzman Flores and 42-year-old Alton resident Marco Antonio Chairez with capital murder of a person under 10 years old.
Sgt. Frank Medrano said Wednesday that the sheriff’s office was not going to identify the child who was killed. The probable cause affidavits for the two arrests also do not identify the girl.
Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra said during a Thursday news conference following the suspect’s arraignments that investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a neighbor dispute that escalated.
Investigators believe the men fired more than two dozen rounds into a residence Tuesday afternoon, one of which hit the girl as she was lying on a bed and watching television, killing her instantly, Guerra said, adding that the fatal round went through two walls before striking the child.
The shooting occurred in the 2400 block of Valencia Avenue in rural Mission at approximately 5:07 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
“These individuals … obviously did a drive-by shooting,” the sheriff said. “These individuals are cowards and because it was a 6-year-old child involved, an innocent 6-year-old child, all members of my staff, and especially my Major Crimes Unit, we’re going to work tirelessly until we bring all the suspects in this case to justice.”
Guerra said investigators believe at least two weapons were involved in the shooting as well as three vehicles, a 2021 Ford Eco Sport, a blue Chevy, either a Malibu or an Impala, and a beige GMC pick-up truck.
“We’re looking into the possibility that an altercation that might have happened on the roadway or an altercation that may have happened there at the house could have led to the motive that these individuals got back and wanted to do a drive-by,” Guerra said.
However, an alleged motive hasn’t been fully identified as the investigation remains ongoing and fluid.
The sheriff also said investigators believe there are more suspects, who authorities are actively looking for with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies.
“I am pretty sure it’s going to be over two. I can pretty much say we are looking for at the minimum, two more people,” Guerra said.
A probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Flores says investigators identified the man through surveillance video.
“Sheriff’s Investigators were able to identify a suspect, Daniel Flores, through surveillance video, and were able to locate him and transport him to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed and confessed to knowingly and intentionally taking part of the drive by shooting, which caused the death of a child under 10 years of age,” the affidavit states.
County jail records say he was booked at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
An affidavit for Chairez’s arrest reveals that sheriff’s investigators arrested Flores as he was leaving a residence in a black Chevy Silverado in the 16000 block of Las Canas Drive in Edinburg.
He provided a voluntary statement to investigators saying he went to the home with Chairez as back up, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Daniel stated he saw Marco Antonio Chairez exit the vehicle and shoot at the residence with a firearm,” the affidavit states.
Investigators found the vehicle, a 2021 Ford Eco Sport, abandoned east of Alamo and Curve roads in Edinburg.
According to a witness, the vehicle was a loaner. This witness came forward to investigators after Chairez admitted to shooting at the residence where the child was killed, according to the affidavit.
Guerra said Wednesday night that the sheriff’s office arrested another suspect, Chairez, with the help of the U.S. Marshals and Mission police.
“On Wednesday … the Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division executed a search warrant and a warrant of arrest inside the city of Mission at a residence of one of Marco’s relatives and eventually we found Marco hiding in the attic and he was subsequently arrested,” Guerra said during the news conference.
Court records indicate that Chairez has been arrested in Hidalgo County at least a dozen times dating back to 2003 on charges that include aggravated assaults, unlawful possession of firearms, drug arrests and deadly conduct.
Investigators first took Flores into custody after a witness provided deputies with a photo of a truck involved in the drive-by that authorities tracked to the man.
Flores only has a record for one arrest in Hidalgo County, which was in 1995 for a charge of burglary.
When asked whether either of the men showed any remorse when they learned they killed a little girl, an investigator who interviewed the men said she believed they did.
Both men, who only answered questions from Justice of the Peace Jerry Muñoz about the magistration process, received a $1 million bond.
Guerra thanked the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Border Patrol, Mission police, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alton Fire Department and criminal analysts with the Texas Transnational Intelligence Center, as well as other law enforcement partners, who assisted and continue to help the sheriff’s office in this investigation.
“Again, like I said, this is an ongoing investigation, other suspects are being sought in this case and we are asking that anyone who has information on this case to please contact our office,” the sheriff said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (956) 383-8114. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at (956) 668-TIPS (8477) or through the smartphone application P3 TIPS.
Information leading to an arrest may earn a tipster a reward of up to $1,000.
