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Edinburg shooter asked law enforcement about trooper Moises Sanchez’s status; body cam shows arrest

By
Xavier Alvarez
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Video evidence of an arrest of a suspect Victor Godinez in the neighborhood near were Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez was shot on a monitor as Godinez stands trial for the death of Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez in the 389th state District Count on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
Updated at 3:19 p.m.
By XAVIER ALVAREZ and FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ | Staff Writers
Victor Godinez stands trial for the death of Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez in the 389th state District Court on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

EDINBURG — Multiple former and current law enforcement officers testified Friday morning regarding the events that occurred before and after the apprehension of the suspect who allegedly shot 49-year-old trooper Moises Sanchez, who died months later in Houston following a surgery, in 2019.

That suspect, 28-year-old Victor Alejandro Godinez, was asking other state troopers if the one he shot was OK during the ambulance ride to McAllen Medical hospital.

Godinez has been charged with one count of capital murder of a peace officer and two counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer after shooting Sanchez and exchanging gunfire with two Edinburg police officers.

If he’s convicted, prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Border Patrol agent Steve Chase testified how he volunteered to help in the manhunt for Godinez on April 7, 2019, as he was driving home northbound on 10th Street early that morning.

As he was on standby with his partner, Chase said he saw a man jump a fence on Mon Mack Road and began heading northeast describing him as “walking with a gait” almost as if he was injured or disabled.

Chase assumed he had been struck during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, which was proved to be true after he and his partner caught up to Godinez who laid on a sidewalk.

Along with Chase, Investigator Minnette Carmona, who was a McAllen police officer at the time, provided Godinez with medical assistance as he was bleeding from his right side upper body.

There’s conflicting testimony regarding the injury Godinez sustained and whether it was a gunshot wound or a graze.

Carmona testified that Godinez told her to let him die, that he killed one of their own and asked why she was helping. She said she reassured him that she was there to help and wouldn’t allow him to bleed out.

Victor Godinez waits to be hand-cuffed to leave the courtroom as he stands trial for the death of Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez in the 389th state District Court on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

It was here that Godinez first asked if Sanchez was OK after he shot him, though no one answered him.

Jurors then saw body cam footage from state trooper Juan Zuniga and former trooper Evan Holguin who were tasked to escort Godinez with paramedics in the ambulance heading to McAllen Medical.

Godinez could be heard whooping and talking to the paramedics, complimenting one’s tattoo.

During the ride, Godinez once again asked about Sanchez.

“Hey, is that trooper alright?” Godinez asked. “I don’t remember. Yes, no, maybe?”

Carmona testified that she smelled alcohol on Godinez despite the overwhelming stench of blood on his person. Holguin stated that Godinez’s speech had sounded slurred, but he couldn’t confirm whether he was intoxicated as he didn’t conduct a field sobriety test on him.

Testimony on Thursday afternoon was highlighted by body camera footage and first hand accounts from law enforcement agents who arrested the man accused of shooting Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Moises Sanchez in 2019.

Prosecutors called Eugenio Garcia, a livestock inspector for the Texas Animal Health Commission. He was working as a DPS patrol officer on April 6, 2019, the night that Sanchez was shot.

Garcia recalled arriving at the scene of the shooting and helping in the manhunt for Godinez. At approximately 12:30 a.m., he was told to take a few minutes to recuperate. He recalled sitting in his DPS unit with the windows rolled down, hoping that the fresh air would help calm his nerves.

He said that he checked the computer in his vehicle to see if there had been any updates in the search for Godinez, and had just poured himself a cup of coffee when he heard gunshots nearby.

A picture is shown ion a monitor in the courtroom of a 357 Magnum on the ground as evidence to the jury as Victor Godinez stands trial for the death of Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez in the 389th state District Court on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Prosecutors presented dash camera footage from Garcia’s vehicle to the court which showed him racing toward Mon Mack Road in Edinburg. He was then seen approaching an individual walking on the sidewalk on Mon Mack Road, which is a stone’s throw from where the shooting involving two Edinburg police investigators had just taken place.

The video showed him driving on Mon Mack Road and encountering an individual walking on the sidewalk. 

“It’s 12:30 at night. There’s nobody on the road except police,” Garcia recalled. “I said, ‘Stop!’ I was expecting to get shot at. I was expecting the worst in that scenario.”

Prosecutors also showed Garcia’s body camera footage, which was an hour long and only had a few minutes with audio. Seen briefly in the footage was ATF Special Agent Eduardo Ramirez, who is a K9 handler and was on scene with two other agents and his K9, Bo. 

Ramirez was also called to testify on his experience from that evening. He and Bo had been searing the area trying to locate a firearm or any bullet casings. He recalled hearing an exchange of gunfire directly south of his location.

He recalled heading to Mon Mack Road and going south on the west side of the road. At that moment, he saw the suspect walking towards him. He said that he did not know who he was, but since he was worried about getting into a “blue on blue” situation, he identified himself as a police officer.

Ramirez said that the suspect did not acknowledge him. He instead began crossing the street and walking away from him. Ramirez said that he did not run and did not appear to be anxious, but he did notice that his clothes were soiled and he was not wearing any shoes. He also did not notice a weapon.

“Get on the ground! Stop!” he recalled saying. The suspect still did not comply and began walking at a faster pace.

As he continued to follow the suspect, two DPS unit’s including Garcia’s pulled up. As they approached the suspect, he went down to his knees on the sidewalk. He was put into a prone position, and Ramirez placed him in handcuffs. 

Ramirez said that the suspect was not violent. He did a pat-down search of the suspect, but did not find a weapon.

Garcia recalled the radio chatter saying, “Victor, 28, hit.” The suspect responded saying “I’m Victor. I’m hit.”

The trial is set to continue Tuesday morning.

Editor’s note: This story and its headline were updated to include developments from the fifth day of trial.

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Witness describes second shooting in Edinburg man’s trial over trooper’s killing

Teen dies at Weslaco hospital from gunshot wound

By
Staff Report
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The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after learning a 16-year-old boy arrived at a Weslaco hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the sheriff’s office said the unidentified teen was deceased when deputies arrived at the Valley Baptist Micro Hospital at 6:18 p.m. Thursday.

“Investigators are at the scene speaking with witnesses,” the sheriff’s office stated. “There is no threat to the public.”

Surgical Technology alumnus reflects on his first year of teaching TSTC

By
Special to MyRGV.com
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Mark Braswell is a TSTC alumnus and a Surgical Technology instructor at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. (Courtesy of TSTC)
Mark Braswell is a TSTC alumnus and a Surgical Technology instructor at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. (Courtesy of TSTC)

HARLINGEN — For Mark Braswell, it was like coming home when he returned to Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus to teach Surgical Technology after working as a surgical technician at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital in San Antonio.

Braswell graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology from TSTC in 2009.

“It’s been rewarding to see the students’ progress in their education after my first year of teaching,” he said. “They begin this program by having minimal knowledge. It takes focus to get the students where they need to be. By the second year, students are thriving in advanced procedures and are confident in surgery.”

Braswell added that his job gives him purpose.

“It’s great that we are training current students to become surgical technicians, who will train a future generation of surgical technologists,” he said.

While working at St. Luke’s, Braswell accepted a part-time job teaching surgical technology at some San Antonio-area medical schools in 2013. He transitioned back to the Rio Grande Valley and was hired as a part-time lab instructor in TSTC’s Surgical Technology program in 2022. Six months later he was promoted to a full-time faculty instructor in the program.

Yolanda Ramirez is TSTC’s Surgical Technology program director.

“Mark’s commitment to bridging the gap between theory and practice ensures that students receive a comprehensive education by preparing them for the demands of the medical industry,”

she said. “His genuine passion and commitment serve as an inspiring example and foster a nurturing and supportive learning environment.”

According to onetonline.org, surgical technologists can earn a yearly median salary of $53,460 in Texas, where projected job growth for the profession was forecast to increase 18% from 2020 to 2030.

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology, as well as an occupational skills achievement award in Sterile Processing, at its Harlingen campus.

For more information, visit tstc.edu.

Editorial: This is your page — Addressing content provided by readers

By
AIM Media Texas Editorial Board
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A pile of newspapers (Adobe Stock)

This space, like editorial and opinion pages across the country, might occupy a relatively small portion of our daily content, but it is one of the most vital parts of any newspaper. That’s because it gives you, our reader, the opportunity to interact with this our leadership, and with other readers. Your thoughts are important, and we are deeply grateful that you choose to share them with us and with our community.

Like most other newspapers, we strive to maintain objectivity in our news reporting. Most news articles are straightforward, reflecting what happens and what key people have to say about it. News articles provide the basic facts about newsworthy events and allow readers to develop their own opinions about them.

On these pages, however, we print editorials that offer our assessment of those events and how they should influence decision makers and affect public policy.

Not everyone agrees with us, however, and their thoughts are just as valuable. So we provide commentary from local officials and community members as well as professional opinion writers, hoping to provide a healthy variety of opinion.

But the most important section of our opinion pages belongs to you — dedicated readers who are willing to share your own thoughts. This page is dedicated to you, and we value your contributions.

Some people have asked about the letters we print and why we choose certain letters. Some accuse us of making biased choices; conservatives accuse us of preferring liberal writers and liberals say we give conservative letters preference.

In reality, we do our best to publish all the letters we can, regardless of the positions they express. Some names appear frequently, and some people assume those writers are our “favorites.” In reality, they simply send us more letters; in fact, a few write so often that we can’t print all of their letters, lest we not have enough space for other letter writers.

That isn’t the only reason a letter might not see print. While we agree that criticism of government officials and other public figures is valid, we don’t print personal attacks. This page is intended as a place to exchange ideas, not to trade insults. Letters that simply berate other contributors without lending constructive comments aren’t published; if a letter does address the issues, the offensive statements are edited out. Opposing viewpoints are to be expected, but we don’t want people to stop offering their opinions because of unnecessarily vicious attacks.

As with all content, commentary is edited for grammar and length; minor parts of a letter might be cut simply because they don’t fit, although we try to be judicious with such edits. We also do our best to fact-check letters, as the best arguments are based on verifiable facts.

We hope this information helps explain and clarify the decisions that are made regarding the opinions printed on this page. We appreciate and welcome all contributions, and hope all readers know they are welcome to contribute to the healthy debate of issues with other members of our community.

UTRGV women’s basketball pushes past Seattle for first WAC win

By
UTRGV Reports
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Graphic via UTRGV Athletics.

Sophomore Charlotte O’Keefe had a career night Thursday to lead the UTRGV women’s basketball team to an 84-77 victory over the Seattle Redhawks at the Redhawk Center in Seattle, Washington, earning the team’s first Western Athletic Conference (WAC) win.

O’Keefe grabbed a career high 21 rebounds – the third most rebounds in a single game in program history and the most by a Vaquero since 2015. She also scored a career high 15 points, shooting 60% from the field, and had two blocks.

Junior Arianna Sturdivant and senior Mele Kailahi scored 14 points each and both knocked down three 3-pointers as UTRGV (2-12, 1-4 WAC) finished the night with 10 buckets from behind the arc. Juniors Iyana Dorsey and Kade Hackerott scored nine points each.

Seattle U (1-13, 1-4 WAC) was led by Makayla Moore’s 23 points. Asta Blauenfeldt and Mya Moore scored 15 each while Iren Korolenko added 12. Mya Moore had 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Seattle U hit the first two buckets of the contest, but freshman Jayda Holiman answered with a pair of baskets, including a 3-pointer, to put the Vaqueros on top, 5-4. But the Redhawks controlled the majority of the opening quarter, growing a double-digit lead. The Vaqueros went on a 5-0 run late in the frame sparked by a three-pointer from Sturdivant to get within five, but the Redhawks answered and led 24-15 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter started physical and fast, leading to a little bit of sloppy play from both squads. After falling behind 35-22, UTRGV made a string of free throws, then Kailahi got hot from behind the arc and cut the deficit to 36-32 at half after knocking down a buzzer-beating three.

UTRGV made six 3-pointers in the third quarter, getting big buckets from four different Vaqueros. O’Keefe played well down low to slow Seattle U’s bigs down and finish layups. The Vaqueros went on a run aided by solid defense to hold off the pesky Redhawks and used great ball movement to hold a 58-55 lead at the end of the quarter, leading by as many as seven points.

Moore powered Seattle U back into the game, putting the Redhawks on top 63-60 early in the fourth quarter after a layup. UTRGV buckled down and tied the contest at 64-64 off a layup from Hackerott.

O’Keefe’s massive game got even better down the stretch. She pulled in rebounds like a magnet, finished strong in the paint and knocked down jumpers. UTRGV also made its way to the free throw line often and converted the opportunities, growing the lead to 76-66 after an 8-0 run backed by six made free throws.

With Seattle U forced to foul to stop the clock playing from behind late, UTRGV continued to shoot well from the charity stripe to put the game away. The Vaqueros finished 22-for-30 from the stripe.

UTRGV will be back in action at 1 p.m. Saturday (CT) at Utah Valley.

Editorial: Valley officials need to be vigilant against computer hack threats

By
AIM Media Texas Editorial Board
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(Adobe Stock)

A popular storyline in fantasy crime stories involves an evil genius or terrorist group that threatens to inject a poison or mind-altering drug into a city’s water system. That threat is becoming less of a fantasy and more of a reality in our nation’s increasingly automated, and internet-based, utility systems.

Unfortunately, we can’t count on Batman to come and save the day.

The recent cyberattack against several water utilities underscores the need for all government offices, no matter how small, to ensure that their computer systems have the best protection possible.

The small Aliquippa, Pa., water authority was one of several utilities hit by Iran-based hackers. The attacks reportedly focused on specific pieces of equipment that were made in Israel.

Officials say the attacks raise concerns about the vulnerability of utility systems, because people who gain access to them might be able to contaminate drinking water supplies by reprograming the addition of chemicals used to treat the water, or by shutting down the pumps — and the flow of water — completely. Officials say smaller utilities might be more at risk because they have fewer computer technicians to monitor such things or their smaller budgets might mean fewer upgrades and protections against such attacks.

And yes, such attacks could happen here — they already have. Harlingen officials reported in October that Russian extortionists had attacked their police department’s servers, and several years earlier a Chinese group broke into the city’s municipal court system. Officials said the breaches weren’t significant, and sensitive information wasn’t taken.

The San Benito public school district wasn’t so lucky, however. The district reported it was hacked in December 2022, in which the attackers accessed confidential information.

Such intrusions are concerning, whether someone is able to take over a drinking water system or gain access to children’s addresses.

Many hacking incidents are the work of mischievous individuals whose knowledge of computers isn’t matched with a similar level of respect for private accounts. But some are the work of criminals who look to steal bank deposits, open or charge credit accounts in victims’ names, or extort money from them. More alarming is the increasing number of attacks by organized groups in Iran, China and Russia, which are hostile to the United States. Officials have said some of those groups could be sanctioned or operated by those countries’ governments.

It’s a growing problem that has affected financial institutions, retail outlets and private individuals. Attacks on government computer systems warrant concern because they could affect an entire community and even compromise public safety.

Public officials at all levels need to know about the threat, no matter how small their communities might be. They should be constantly vigilant against such attacks and keep their computer systems as well protected as possible.

It’s an unfortunate demand on public resources, but the possible cost of a successful cyberattack could be far greater than the investment in the best possible software or personnel to guard against such attacks.

RGV Vipers: Inside the Numbers

By
Henry Miller
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RGV Vipers Trhae Mitchell blocks a shot during a game against Memphis on Jan. 5, 2024 (Christian Inoferio / NBA G League)

The RGV Vipers are off to a fast start to the NBA G League regular season with a 5-1 record, falling for the first time earlier this week to Oklahoma City.

However, the teams they have played during the first six games of the season hold a combined 4-18 record.

That means Friday’s game at home against 5-2 Grand Rapids, the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, will be the first game against a team with a winning percentage of more than .500.

RGV opened the season so far with two wins against G League Ignite (0-8 record), two more against the Memphis Hustle (2-4) and a two-game split with the Oklahoma City Blue (2-6). But, a win is a win when it comes to the standings and a race to grab as high a playoff position as possible.

Plus, based on numbers alone – which, in all honesty – can be deceiving but also provide a big-picture look, the Vipers have been playing some solid basketball. During one game against the Memphis Hustle, RGV score 61 points during the first half – 10 players scored and nobody at that point had reached double figures.

By the end of that game, the Vipers had seven in double-digit scoring.

“We have an awful lot of talent on this team,” head coach Kevin Burleson said. “We try to mix it up and give guys opportunities. Every night is not gonna be the same – where one guy gets 30 and we go off and win. Another night night will be a tough night – it’s gonna be like this sometime.”

The four-time G League champions and affiliates of the Houston Rockets have seven games remaining during January, only one of those teams – the Iowa Wolves – had a sub .500 record. Also on that schedule is Grand Rapids (5-2), the Texas Legends (4-2), the Rip City Remix (3-3) and Sioux Falls (7-0).

“Winning games is my job – obviously there are other levels to that – but the bottom line is winning games and it’s always good to have a good start like this and to keep it going.”

MORE NUMBERS 

Traditionally known as a team that just runs opponents into the ground with high powered offense, this season they rank No. 18 out of 31 G League teams in scoring. They are scoring 114.5 points per game. The Birmingham Squadron lead the league in scoring with 124.8 points, while defending champion Delaware is second at 123.3.

However, defense has been key this year for RGV. The Vipers are first in the league per game in rebounds (52.7), steals (13.5), overall defensive rating (100.3) and points per game in the paint (65.). They are also second in blocked shots with 8.0 per game.

Individually, Nate Hinton is averaging 3.0 steals per contest, good for third individually. Cam Whitmore, the Rockets’ 20th pick in the most recent NBA Draft, was averaging 26.2 points per game before being call up to Houston.

No other Vipers player is ranked in the top five in individual stats in the league, which, in this case, is a testament to the talent and balance they have showing during the first seven games.

[email protected]

Man on the run after shooting woman in Donna, causing heavy police presence

By
Staff Report
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Jose Escobedo Jr.
Jose Escobedo Jr.

The Donna Police Department is looking for a 51-year-old man who police say shot a woman in the shoulder with a rifle prompting a standoff.

The suspect, Jose Escobedo Jr., however, was not at the residence where they thought he was hiding.

Donna police were dispatched at around 4 p.m. to the 2400 block of Grande Street where they found a woman in a vehicle on the roadway with a gunshot wound.
She is in stable condition.

In a Thursday night news release, Donna police said its department and the Texas Department of Public Safety believed Escobedo was hiding in the residence.

“A short time later, police learned that Escobedo was not inside the residence and had fled prior to their arrival and remains at large,” the release stated.

Donna Police Chief Gilbert Guerrero previously said authorities weren’t sure he was inside the house.

“We managed to secure some of the residents out of the house, but we still don’t know if the male subject is inside the house,” Guerrero said.

Anyone with information on Escobedo’s whereabouts is asked to call the Donna Police Department. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Donna Crime Stoppers at (956) 464-TIPS (8477).

Hidalgo County splits animal control services three ways

By
Dina Arévalo
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The Palm Valley Animal Society on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

EDINBURG — Six months after county officials here were heavily considering severing ties with Palm Valley Animal Society over the rising costs of animal control services, they have partially reversed course.

During a Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court meeting Tuesday, county leaders finalized plans to partner with three separate animal control service providers over the next two years, including Palm Valley.

But now, added to the mix will be the city of Weslaco, which has operated its own animal shelter for several years, and the city of La Joya, which opened its shelter in 2023.

“We were actually paying close to $1.2 million, I think, and so, what we’re looking to do is broaden our options,” Precinct 2 Hidalgo County Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu explained to citizen watchdog Fern McClaugherty during Tuesday’s meeting.

“We used to work only with PVAS, now we’re gonna work with PVAS, Weslaco, La Joya,” Cantu added.

HISTORY WITH PVAS

For decades, PVAS has provided animal control services to the county and many of its municipalities.

The organization, which operates two facilities in Edinburg, is the largest animal shelter in the region.

In 2022, PVAS took in nearly 12,600 animals — including more than 4,200 as part of its contract with Hidalgo County.

By contrast, Cameron County took in 4,500 animals at its county-owned shelter that same year, while Weslaco took in 7,800.

But with such a largescale operation come largescale expenses — costs that were beginning to prove untenable to Hidalgo County officials.

The county was under contract to pay PVAS $840,000 per year for animal control services in 2023; however, last April, the shelter requested an additional $250,000 to pay for cost overruns.

Though the commissioners’ court approved the budget amendment at the time, PVAS officials later said that the money had not yet been transferred to the organization by July 2023, when The Monitor was the first to report the county was exploring other animal control options.

Palm Valley Animal Society on July 9, 2021, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

When fiscal planning season rolled around last fall, however, county leaders approved a $360,000 increase to the PVAS budget for 2024 for a total of $1.2 million.

But that appropriation came months after the county had hired Mission-based B2Z Engineering to explore the possibility of creating a county-owned animal control center.

The county first tasked B2Z with figuring out how much it would cost to build shelters of various sizes at three potential locations in the eastern half of Hidalgo County.

B2Z’s projections showed it would cost between $3 million to $10.5 million to build the facilities, plus an additional $1.3 million to $3 million per year to operate them, depending on the size the county chose.

Unsatisfied, county leaders next tasked B2Z with exploring two more potential sites, though officials never publicly discussed the results of that second study, which the commissioners’ court authorized in late-July 2023.

NEW TERMS

Without any further public discussion, the county appears to have abandoned plans to run its own animal shelter.

“Can you kind of explain why we’re doing this and how is it helping the people that live here?” asked McClaugherty, a longtime member of a government watchdog group known as the Objective Watchers of the Legal System, or OWLS.

“We did look into doing it ourselves and the analysis came up that we were better off doing what we did, which is basically dividing our pet population into three different centers,” County Judge Richard F. Cortez said.

By partnering with three different organizations, the county plans to save more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars per year.

Rather than pay PVAS alone $1.2 million per year, Hidalgo County will now pay a total of $924,000 between PVAS, Weslaco and La Joya.

Palm Valley Animal Society administers a microchip tracking device at Bill Schupp Park on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Under the terms of the new agreements, Hidalgo County will pay PVAS $624,000 to take in up to 2,000 animals per year, with a maximum of 166 animals per month.

At $52,000 per month, that breaks down to a little more than $313 per animal.

If the shelter has capacity, it will take in additional animals at an overage rate of $365 per animal, according to a draft copy of the contract between PVAS and Hidalgo County.

The intake of dead animals will cost $30 each. And large dogs — those weighing more than 20 pounds — will be limited to eight per day.

Meanwhile, Weslaco and La Joya have each agreed to take in 1,000 animals per year for $150,000.

Weslaco added further stipulations to its contract with the county, including that it will only accept a maximum of 20 animals per week, and that deceased animals will not count toward that tally.

However, the city will still charge $85 per animal to process dead animals.

Weslaco will further charge the county $150 for each instance of tranquilization or euthanasia, and $250 per animal that requires quarantining.

Combined, the county will pay the three entities $924,000, for an annual cost savings of $276,000.

“We were looking to see if we could provide the best service animals at the lowest cost to the taxpayers,” Cortez said.

Ahead of cold front, Hidalgo County agency offering space heaters to its most vulnerable

By
Tami Cupples-Hernandez
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Monica Hinojosa, an emergency services coordinator for the county, and sheriff's deputy Manuel Morales hand out space heaters and smoke detectors to those in need at the Hidalgo County Community Service Agency on Friday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

In response to freezing temperatures expected to arrive next week, the Hidalgo County Community Service Agency is offering aid to its most vulnerable residents.

The agency has announced the availability of a limited number of space heaters amid a nationwide winter storm warning. The National Weather Service in Brownsville/RGV anticipates widespread freezing conditions Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, with temperatures reaching in the 40s and low 50s.

The Hidalgo County Heater Distribution program provides a space heater and a smoke detector for families who have no other means of heating their homes.

The program is federally funded through the state, and has very specific requirements, according to Hidalgo County Community Service Agency Executive Director Jaime Longoria.

“Families must qualify through income guidelines, and then of course we have to prove legal citizenship and residency,” Longoria said. The county has 140,000 to 150,000 households which meets this specific criteria, he added.

Residents will be asked to complete a program application and provide proof of income for the last 30 days showing they’re at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level; identification and proof of residency via ID and birth certificate for all members of the household; and unpaid electrical utility bill, water bill and natural gas, if applicable.

Longoria said the unpaid bills will be addressed by the agency, to help the household’s utilities remain in service.

“Residents who are in need of a space heater or who may have other weather-related needs should reach out to our office,” Longoria said. “Weather extremes can be difficult for vulnerable family members to endure. We would like to help make this more bearable.”

Heaters are available at the main office, located at 2524 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg. For more information, call (956) 383-6240.

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