Sheriff’s authorities are searching for two more suspects in a murder investigation that has already led to the apprehension of several individuals, one of whom is alleged to have been paid to kidnap and shoot a 37-year-old man to death before setting him on fire in a vehicle.
Thus far, deputies with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office have arrested 27-year-old Nallely Belmares and her boyfriend 21-year-old Jorge Arredondo Jr. in addition to 18-year-olds Josias Hernandez and Juan Duenes on charges of capital murder. Charges stem from Teodoro Martinez’s death on March 25.
Investigators are also looking for Jorge’s aunt, 44-year-old Aracely Arredondo and her boyfriend, Hector Manuel Gonzalez on charges of capital murder.
Probable cause affidavits say that Martinez’s girlfriend called police at 12:27 a.m. from a residence in rural Edcouch to report that four masked men armed with military rifles took the man at gunpoint after a red vehicle rammed the gate and the door of the residence, forcing it open.
Thirteen minutes later, deputies responded to a second location west of Val Verde Road on Mill 22 ½ Road in regards to shots fired and a vehicle on fire.
“Upon arrival, Sheriff’s Deputies observed a vehicle to be engulfed in flames and observed the body of a deceased individual inside the vehicle,” the affidavit stated. “Sheriff’s Investigators recovered spent .223 caliber casings around the vehicle.”
The investigators identified the burned vehicle as a red GMC Envoy and tacked the sale of that vehicle to the last known owners, who said they traded the vehicle to Aracely for another on the afternoon of March 23, according to the affidavit.
“During the vehicle trade, Aracely was accompanied by her boyfriend, Hector Manuel Gaonzalez … who stated they were going to burn the vehicle,” the affidavit stated.
A man said during the vehicle trade that they “were going to make the vehicle disappear,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Aracely’s phone records indicate she was in communication with a telephone belonging to Belmares at the time of the kidnapping and murder, and they also show she was in the area when this happened, according to the affidavit.
The release also says Jorge’s phone records show he was involved in the trade, which isn’t mentioned in the probable cause affidavits.
According to that release, Jorge was seen on surveillance video driving by Martinez’s house with an unknown person and pointing it out.
Investigators say in the affidavit that they found Belmares who said her boyfriend, Jorge, had the phone at the time of the murder. They also say that they located messages sent to Aracely’s phone after the murder on March 25.
The familial link between Aracely and Jorge resulted in Jorge’s arrest Tuesday, and investigators say he provided a voluntary statement admitting to participating in the crime for money and implicated his aunt, Aracely, her boyfriend, Hector, his girlfriend, Belmares, and her neighbors, Josias and Duenes.
Jorge, Belmares, Josias and Duenes remain jailed on $2 million in bonds.
