A Mission man accused of committing multiple aggravated robberies is said to have been using a rifle commonly known in Mexico as a “cuerno de chivo,” an AK-47, in order to intimidate his victims, a probable cause affidavit said.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested Heriberto Lozano Mendez Jr., 24, late September after police say he was directly involved in a string of robberies in Mission in late August and mid-September.
Mendez is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
According to the affidavit, police were dispatched to 2808 Buena Vida St. on Aug. 30 at about 9:59 p.m. in reference to a theft that was later reclassified as an aggravated robbery. This location is also where police said they spoke with Rigoberto Mendoza.
Mendoza said his cousin Mauricio Mendoza was at his house helping him repair a vehicle when a blue 4-door truck and another vehicle arrived and three men approached Mauricio, demanding him to give them his red 2010 Ford F-150.
According to the affidavit, one man was holding a rifle.
The document then states that one man threw a bottle at Mauricio and began to punch and kick him once another drove away with his pickup truck.
When police made contact with Mauricio, he corroborated his cousin’s story and identified the man holding the rifle as “El Negro,” or Mendez.
In Aug. 24, deputies were dispatched to 5901 Thicket Lane in reference to another aggravated robbery that occurred north of Mile 5 Line on La Homa Road and made contact with a man named Luis Jesus Linares.
Linares told police that he was driving north of Mile 5 Line at about 1:30 a.m. when a truck stopped in front of him forcing him to stop as well.
According to the document, Linares saw one male exit the vehicle and approached him with “a rifle that had a red barrel with a laser attachment,” later identified as Mendez.
Linares said Mendez had him sit in the passenger seat while he sat in the backseat and another young male drove north to Bentsen Palm Drive, where he was told to exit his vehicle.
Mendez took Linares’ cellphone, $1,500 and his 2003 Jeep Cherokee, the report said.
Then, on Sept. 17 at about 9:41 p.m., police responded to an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store located at the southeast intersection of La Homa and State Highway 107 where they came in contact with a Cristian Garcia in reference to a robbery.
Garcia told police he was driving on Azul Street, located south of Mile 10 on Bentsen Palm Drive, when a Chevrolet Tahoe cut him off and forced him to stop his truck.
According to the affidavit, two males approached Garcia and began punching him from both passenger and driver sides, forcing him out of his tan extended cab 2004 GMC Sierra before fleeing with the vehicle.
On Sept. 22, a female witness reported she was with Mendez and the other male, later identified as 24-year-old Heriberto Aguirre, when they robbed Garcia and said they left the keys to the stolen truck in her bag, which deputies recovered.
Mendez remains jailed on $405,000 in bonds, jail records show.
