Photo: Hidalgo County Records
Two teenage brothers and their friend were arrested in Texas for allegedly killing their stepfather after they learned he sexually assaulted their nine-year-old half-sister.
Police said that Alejandro Trevino, 18 Christian Trevino,17, and Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, confronted 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla at his home, and a fight broke out. Quintanilla managed to flee, but they chased him to a nearby apartment complex down the road and continued to assault him.
After the second attack, all three teens left the scene in a red Dodge Charger. They then changed vehicles and found Quintanilla injured and walking down the road. They assaulted Quintanilla for a third time and then put his body in the bed of the pickup truck they were driving.
They dumped his body in a field, and police said he was likely alive at the time. His body was found by a farmer.
"This investigation was complex, having multiple scenes. I am proud of how our detectives were able to put the pieces together in such a short time," Pharr Police Chief Andy Harvey said in a statement.
Christian Trevino was charged with aggravated assault, murder, and engaging in organized criminal activity. His brother, Alejandro, was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault.
Melendez was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of marijuana.
They are all being held on a $500,000 bond.