Edinburg Man Arraigned for Murder and Aggravated Assault
Staff Reports
EDINBURG, TX – An Edinburg man was arraigned on charges of murder and aggravated assault following a fatal incident that began as a verbal altercation, authorities said.
Luis Antonio Garza, 26, appeared before Justice of the Peace Charlie Espinoza on Monday, where he was charged with murder and aggravated assault. Espinoza set a $500,000 cash surety bond for each charge, totaling $1 million.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred around 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, in the 6300 block of Lorena Street. According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a disturbance involving several people, one of whom was armed with a machete.
Witnesses told deputies that Garza had confronted 27-year-old Jorge Galvan, who owed him $100, as Galvan and 20-year-old Briseida Cobarrubias walked down the road. Following a verbal altercation, Garza initially left the scene but returned, allegedly driving his vehicle into both Cobarrubias and Galvan.
Deputies found Cobarrubias with fatal head injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Galvan sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
Later that day, Garza admitted to investigators that he had argued with Galvan over the debt and intentionally drove his truck towards Galvan and Cobarrubias, striking them both.
The sheriff’s office continues to investigate the incident and urges anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 956-668-TIPS (8477) or through the “P3 TIPS” smartphone application.
Authorities have not disclosed who wielded the machete during the confrontation. The identities of the victims were released in a news update, identifying the deceased as Briseida Cobarrubias and the injured party as Jorge Galvan.
For further information, please contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at 956-383-8114.
Source: Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office