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EDINBURG — A Weslaco man pleaded guilty Thursday morning for his involvement in the death of a 75-year-old man who was shot and killed in his sleep.
Joe Armendaris, 37, was convicted of manslaughter for shooting and killing Jose Magana at his residence on Aug. 19, 2021, and was sentenced to two years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
At around 1:56 a.m., Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to west of Farm-to-Market Road 1015 off Mile 10 North in rural Weslaco in reference to a gunshot victim, according to the initial sheriff’s Facebook post.
Deputies found Magana being treated by EMS upon arrival but were notified he was already dead.
“According to witness statements, the decedent was laying down in bed when he was awoken by a sharp pain,” the sheriff’s office said. “He began to check himself and observed he was bleeding.”
According to the probable cause affidavit, authorities met with Magana’s wife, Elva, who told authorities that she and Jose Magana were asleep in their bedroom when he woke her up complaining about leg pain.
She then helped her husband up and that’s when she noticed he was bleeding, so she called for help.
Investigators found a bullet hole in the bedroom’s window and a projectile on the floor which was determined to have entered from outside.
Video surveillance later obtained by authorities showed a dark-colored truck, which was later determined to be driven by Armendaris, driving by Magana’s home.
When interviewing Armendaris, he voluntarily told police that he shot his gun toward the street while traveling on Mile 10 North but added that he didn’t intend on shooting Magana.
U.S. District Judge Marla Cuellar sentenced Armendaris to two years in prison once she was made aware that Magana’s family agreed to the plea agreement.
