EDINBURG — The man accused in an Alton shooting that left a 42-year-old man dead early Friday morning was charged with first-degree murder during his arraignment here Saturday.
Yair De Jesus Perez Hernandez, 30, was arraigned Saturday morning and charged with first-degree murder, unlawfully carrying weapons, possession of a controlled substance and possession on marijuana.
The charges stemmed from an incident reported to law enforcement authorities around 12:57 a.m. near Alton on Friday.
Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies arrived in rural Alton south of 4 Mile Line Road on Conway Avenue in response to a gunshot victim.
Witnesses told authorities that they heard a loud crash and two men arguing followed by gunshots before seeing a vehicle leave the area, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Alton police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and detained the driver who was later identified as Hernandez, according to the statement.
The passenger of the vehicle, Sergio Cepeda, was found shot and died at the scene.
Justice of the Peace JJ Pena set Hernandez’s bond for the murder charge to $1 million, and combined with the other charges, the suspect remains held on $1,043,000 in total bonds.
