Pharr police arrested two brothers on Sunday after they allegedly kidnapped another man and threatened to kill his family because, according to a criminal complaint, one brother felt disrespected that the man’s friend brought a gun into his home.
Gilberto Reyna Jr., 33, and Jaime Garcia Reyna, 32, were both charged with aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and engaging in organized crime after they restrained Anselmo Amaro for ransom.
The younger brother is also facing three possession charges, as well as charges for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and displaying a fictitious license plate.
On Friday, Pharr Police Sergeant Jorge Guerra was told by dispatch that McAllen police were dealing with a “deadly conduct offense” in Pharr.
McAllen investigators, who were speaking to Amaro after he managed to escape his kidnappers, told Guerra the kidnapping occurred in the city of Pharr, according to the affidavit.
Guerra was also told that the suspect, Jaime Garcia Reyna, lived on 628 E. Rusty Drive in Pharr and that Amaro had been held against his will, the complaint said.
When officers arrived at the home, they detained the older brother and saw that the front door was “slightly opened.”
Officers opened the door and yelled into the home for anyone inside to come out, the complaint said.
The younger brother eventually stepped outside and was detained. He allowed officers to search the home to make sure there was nobody else inside.
While waiting for a search warrant, Guerra noticed a man pretending to be asleep in the back of the property and found a .22 caliber handgun on his side and another gun with an extended magazine behind him, the complaint said. The man was also detained.
Investigators told Guerra a man named Sergio, who is a friend of Amaro’s, had a gun on him when they both went to visit the younger brother’s home, and he, in turn, felt “disrespected.”
When the two left, the younger brother called Amaro and told him he needed to return after he dropped off Sergio, the document said.
When Amaro returned and entered the home, he noticed “about 10 men” waiting for him inside.
“…Jaime asked him why Sergio took a gun to his house and that he did not like that,” the affidavit said.
According to the document, Amaro was forced to go with the older brother and another man to “grab Sergio and bring him back to [Jaime’s] house.”
The affidavit goes on to say that in order to make him comply, Amaro was told a friend of his was going to be held at Jaime’s house and that his family was going to be killed.
“…Jaime went as far as describing each vehicle and family member along with their address to indicate he was not kidding,” the complaint said.
The document states that once they arrived at Sergio’s house, a gun battle ensued, allowing Amaro to flee on foot.
Both brothers remained jailed Tuesday at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on $800,000 and $942,000 in bonds, respectively.
