By XAVIER ALVAREZ and MARK REAGAN | STAFF WRITERS
A 21-year-old Edinburg woman accused of shooting and killing her 18-year-old younger brother first told police that her sibling shot himself.
However, Carmen Del Crystal Arigullin later admitted to investigators that she pulled the trigger and fired the shot that killed her brother, Andres Arigullin II, according to police.
She made a first appearance Monday afternoon in Edinburg Municipal Court where she received a $1 million bond on a murder charge.
A probable cause affidavit for her arrest said Edinburg police were called to 1606 Tampa St. Apt. 2 at 11:09 p.m. Saturday in reference to a call about a man who shot himself.
Responding officers found Andres on the living room floor, surrounded by blood.
He appeared to be dead, according to the affidavit, which also said that officers found blood on Carmen’s feet.
She told police Andres was her brother and officers took her to the police department to make a voluntary witness statement, according to the affidavit.
“Through the course of the interview, she was read her Miranda warnings after she implicated herself in the death of Andres,” the affidavit stated. “Carmen stated she had a small black hand gun in her right hand and pointed it at Andres’ face. Carmen then pulled the trigger causing it to discharge which resulted in the death of Andres.”
Following her first appearance, Edinburg police Lt. Rey Sepulveda said Andres had been shot in the head, and at this point, investigators think the siblings were playing around with the handgun.
He said the shooting happened at close range.
As of now, Sepulveda said there are no other known witnesses and that Andres and Carmen were the only ones in the apartment at the time of the shooting.
Sepulveda said the investigation is ongoing.
Edinburg police are expected to transfer Carmen to the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center where she’ll be formally booked on the murder charge.
