Mercedes man indicted for 2012 shooting during robbery

Olivares

A 31-year-old Mercedes man is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on an indictment charging him with attempted capital murder, which stemmed from a shooting during a robbery more than nine years ago.

Deputies from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eddy Abraham Olivares Dec. 14 over allegations that he and another man attempted a robbery at Perez Groceries just before 10 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2012, which resulted in a shootout.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Olivares, who was 22 at the time, and Jorge Rios Barron, now 30, entered the north Weslaco establishment, located west of Mile 6 1/2 West on Mile 7 North, to rob it right before it closed.

“Mr. (Carmen Polanco) Perez said that he was about to close his business when two armed male subjects walked in the store yelling that it was a robbery and ordered him to the ground. Mr. Perez then heard a gunshot and felt he was hit. He then grabbed his gun and shot at the two armed male subjects, striking one of the suspects,” the probable cause affidavit stated.

Perez, who was 71 at the time, told deputies he had been shot and investigators say blood at the scene corroborated his account of the shooting.

Through the course of the investigation, deputies learned that Barron had been shot and he was transported to Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, according to the affidavit.

Perez, incidentally, was treated at the same hospital, according to newspaper archives.

“Investigators obtained a statement from a witness who said he saw Eddy Abraham Olivarez (sic) and Jorge Rios Barron running away from the store when Jorge was shot. Witness stated he transported Jorge and Eddy to the hospital, the affidavit read.

Olivares, who was indicted on May 4, remains in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a $150,000 bond, records show.

Barron, who was arrested in March 2012, is serving a 12-year sentence for aggravated robbery. He had initially been charged with attempted capital murder.

He appeared for a parole hearing in February and was denied parole because of the violent nature of the offense, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records.

The parole board said he should not be released until he serves his full sentence, which ends in March 2024.