The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has booked a 42-year-old man into county jail on charges tied to a 2015 double homicide.
Alberto Garcia Ocañas is charged with capital murder of multiple persons for the Dec. 26, 2015 — the shooting deaths of 24-year-old Rodrigo Villanueva Alvarez and 43-year-old Juan Carmorlinga Torres.
Investigators believe Garcia, 54-year-old Ramon Aguilar Jr., then-29-year-old Guillermo Peña and Torres tried to steal more than 400 pounds of marijuana from a residence in the 6100 block of Dario Street in rural Mission.
A confrontation ensued that involved an exchange of gunfire that left Torres and Alvarez dead. Alvarez owned the home that was the target of the drug robbery.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the location at 2:58 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2015, for a disturbance they later reclassified as capital murder after deputies found the men dead at the back of the property behind a small travel trailer, according to a probable cause affidavit.
“Sheriff Investigators reviewed surveillance footage which showed armed men to include Juan Camorlinga Torres arrive at the residence in a silver Ford Ranger and a secondary vehicle,” the charging document states. “Armed men entered the property and chased after the homeowner and the other victim’s at location while pointing handguns in their direction.”
Witnesses told police Garcia owned the Ford Ranger and say he was armed at the scene.
“Witnesses also stated that Juan Camorlinga Torres worked for Alberto Garcia Ocanas,” the affidavit states.
Investigators say they recovered guns, bundles of marijuana, U.S. currency and video surveillance from the scene.
After the shooting, police arrested Ramon Aguilar Jr., who pleaded guilty to a charge of murder in 2017 and is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence.
He will be eligible for parole in 2030 and his maximum sentence extends to 2044.
Last March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced officers at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge arrested Rodriguez after biometric information showed he had an arrest warrant.
He has pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with capital murder of multiple persons and is scheduled for a jury trial in January, records show.
Rodriguez remains jailed on a $2 million bond.
Peña, the final suspect in the case, is still sought by authorities.
As of early Monday afternoon, Garcia had not yet received a bond in the case.
