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4 arrested in deadly Mission shooting

2 years 5 months 1 day ago Saturday, October 16 2021 Oct 16, 2021 October 16, 2021 4:53 PM October 16, 2021 in News - Local

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested four suspects in connection to a deadly Thursday shooting in Mission.

Jose Maria Victoria Jr., 21, is the man accused of murdering Leonardo Veliz, 21, and shooting a second victim. The second man, only identified as a 21-year-old man, is currently being treated at a hospital in stable but critical condition, the sheriff's office said in a news release. 

Three other individuals - Rolando Tovar Sanchez, 21, Angel Mata, Jonathan Mora, 19 – were arrested and accused of assisting in hiding the firearm used in the shooting.

The investigation began Thursday when deputies responded to a Stripes convenience store located at Farm-to-Market Road 492 and Highway 107 in Mission regarding a shooting, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office. 

RELATED: Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office identifies victim in deadly Mission shooting

When deputies arrived, several witnesses said they saw several men armed with handguns fighting in the parking lot and heard multiple gunshots being fired before the suspects drove away. 

Deputies also responded to a second location near 6-Mile Line Road and Bentsen Palm Drive. A passing motorist reported finding two men – Veliz and the unidentified victim - with gunshot wounds bleeding inside their vehicle. 

The motorist took the two men to a local hospital where Veliz was later pronounced dead. 

Members of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division and the Peñitas Police Department arrested Victoria Jr. “without incident” at his residence, the release stated.

Victoria Jr. was arraigned Saturday on charges of murder and attempted murder and had his bond set at $2 million.

Tovar, Mata, and Mora were charged with tampering with evidence and had their bonds set at $75,000 dollars each.

The investigation remains ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office. Anyone with information on the investigation is urged to call the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 956-668-8477. 

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