Rio Bravo man sentenced to 37 years for beating death

A 28-year-old Rio Bravo man was sentenced to prison Monday after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of murder regarding the death of his former employer who he killed in 2020.

Saul Galindo Rodriguez was sentenced to 37 years in prison for the death of 59-year-old Gerardo Gonzalez who was beaten to death with a baseball bat on May 31, 2020, court records show.

Rodriguez was arrested on June 2, 2020 after Gonzalez was reported missing and was initially charged with capital murder as investigators alleged Gonzalez’s tools and money were missing when they found his body.

Gonzalez was found dead inside his vehicle which was stuck in the mud near Mile 10 North and Mile 1 East in rural Mercedes.

According to the probable cause affidavit, investigators observed that Gonzalez’s truck was “ransacked along with his person.”

Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra previously stated that Rodriguez provided a voluntary statement where he admitted to hitting Gonzalez on the head with a baseball bat following an argument over wages.

Gonzalez allegedly owed Rodriguez.

Investigators also allege that Rodriguez had help when he killed Gonzalez, but that suspect is believed to have fled to Mexico that same day.

Gonzalez was reported missing after his wife noticed he didn’t come home that night and went looking for him at the welding shop she and her husband owned.

She didn’t find Gonzalez at the shop, but noticed his vehicle was missing and the building was left unsecured, which she found uncommon.

However, she did find a pool of blood with a bat next to it, according to the affidavit.

When interviewed by police, Gonzalez’s wife stated that she saw Rodriguez at the warehouse the night her husband went missing. She added that Rodriguez was wearing a green shirt.

Investigators tracked down Rodriguez’s wife who told police that he left that night and returned the following morning in a green shirt covered in mud.

She further stated that Rodriguez burned his clothing and threw his shoes into a cornfield next to their residence.

When Rodriguez appeared before Justice of the Peace Jason Peña for his arraignment, Rodriguez claimed self defense.

“He hit me first and I defended myself,” Rodriguez said.

In addition to the 37 year sentence, Rodriguez received credit of a little over 3 years.