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A 20-year-old McAllen woman who was initially charged with murder was released on bond pending her sentencing after she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge on Thursday.
Sandra Edith Morales, who was originally charged with murder following the death of 53-year-old McAllen resident Rosendo Benitez, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon last week, court records indicate.
She has been released from jail on a $50,000 bond pending her sentencing.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the shooting occurred around 11 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2022, in the 1600 block of North 29th Street.
“Through the investigation, it was discovered that a male victim had been shot multiple times and later expired,” the affidavit stated.
Morales wasn’t alone during the shooting.
With her was 18-year-old Amador Sandoval IV, 19-year-old Carlos Gustavo Macias and a male juvenile.
The suspect vehicle in the shooting was a 2018 Ford Fusion that had been stolen out of Mission.
Macias, who was the first to be detained by police, was charged with stealing the Fusion and, during an interview with detectives, implicated Morales and the male juvenile.
He was arrested at his Mission residence in the 200 block of Rio Street where the Fusion was found, according to the affidavit.
A search warrant executed on the residence revealed a handgun, ammunition and the key fob belonging to the stolen Ford Fusion.
“The handgun caliber and ammunition matched the spent casings found at the crime scene,” the affidavit said.
Morales, Sandoval and the juvenile were later located and interviewed which is where Morales implicated the group being involved in the alleged murder.
“Sandra provided details to the murder that would only (have) been known by someone who was directly involved in the case,” the affidavit stated.
According to investigators, Sandoval also implicated his co-defendants and corroborated statements Macias and Morales made regarding Benitez’s death by stating that the group was in the Ford Fusion when the murder happened.
Detectives corroborated their stories with a cellphone extraction of Macias’ phone and surveillance video from a convenience store, according to police.
Macias and Sandoval, who have pleaded not guilty, remain held in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center. Macias has a $500,000 bond on the murder charge while Sandoval’s bond on the charge is $250,000.
Morales was released Friday on a $50,000 bond but remains on house arrest pending her sentencing which has yet to be scheduled, court documents show.
