The fatal shooting of a man in Palmview may have been about a disagreement over owed money, documents indicate.
The probable cause affidavit for the arrest of 44-year-old Francisco Antonio Griego reveals that the victim, 30-year-old Federico Garza, had been driving around in the area of Minnesota Road and Ruiz Street with his niece on Dec. 22 when he noticed Griego parked in front of the P and V Drive Thru at 100 S. Minnesota Road.
According to the affidavit, Garza got out of the vehicle and walked toward the back office in the drive thru.
The niece told officers she heard one gunshot and saw her uncle look ill, before he collapsed by the exit of the drive thru.
She also told police that the incident between the men that lead up to the shooting lasted over the course of a few days.
The woman told police, who received responded to a shots fired call at approximately 9:57 p.m., she saw Griego leave the location.
The niece told police that her aunt was in a relationship with Griego, according to the affidavit.
When police interviewed the woman, she said Griego said it was in self defense, according to the affidavit.
“During the commission of the offense, Mr. Griego took the firearm and has not yet been recovered,” the affidavit states.
The Palmview Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals, arrested Griego on Feb. 10.
A Palmview Police Department spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests Tuesday asking where the arrest took place or what time the arrest happened.
Hidalgo County jail records indicate Griego was booked at 11:28 p.m. on Monday night.
He remains jailed on $2 million in bonds on charges of murder and tampering with evidence.
Jail records also indicate he has been arrested more than 10 times starting in 2004 on multiple charges, including a dozen charges related to assault.
Hidalgo County court records reflect he’s had 11 criminal cases filed against him dating back to 2002, including six assault cases.
He received convictions in all of those cases, most recently on June 13, 2019, for assault against a family member with previous convictions.
He received a two-year sentence in that case, but had 638 days jail credit, leaving him with roughly three months to serve on his sentence at the time of conviction.
