Brownsville man gets 35 years for fatal shooting at apartment complex

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Hector Hugo Lopez

A man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to fatally shooting someone outside an apartment complex in Brownsville a little more than three years ago.

Court records indicate Hector Hugo Lopez pleaded guilty to the Aug. 4, 2021 murder of Edgar Barrera. In exchange for his plea, a charge of tampering with physical evidence was dismissed.

Lopez is charged along with his brother, Carlos Alberto Lopez, and Michael Rodriguez. They are accused of shooting and killing Barrera outside a small apartment complex in the 5400 block of Boca Chica Boulevard.

Carlos Alberto Lopez and Michael Rodriguez

When officers arrived on scene that day they noticed that a white vehicle had collided with two other vehicles there. Police looked into the car and found Barrera slumped over with a gunshot wound.

Investigators believe Barrera was driving when he was shot. Authorities found a number of shell casings at the scene.

Carlos Alberto Lopez and Rodriguez have pleaded not guilty.

They remain held in the Cameron County Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center on a $1,015,000 bond.

Hector Hugo Lopez received credit to a little more than two years that he remained jail awaiting the resolution of his case.