WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) - The expressway in Weslaco has reopened hours after a fiery accident that shut down the westbound lanes of Expressway 83 near N. Mile 2 West Road in Weslaco, said . The majority of the GLO's assistance went to smaller towns. The plea deal means Garza avoids a possible death penalty. Throughout its history, the state of Texas has been home to some of the most notorious serial killers in the US. COST OF LIVING Compared to the rest of the country, Weslaco's cost of living is 24.7% lower than the U.S. average. He led officers on a brief chase in a stolen truck before he was gunned down. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/us/porvenir-massacre-texas-mexicans.html. Weslaco Police Departments. 401.93. Weslaco is a quiet southern town located in Hidalgo County. With Jessica Lucas, Dylan Bruce, Terry Chen, Luvia Petersen. weslaco Trending Stories Officials found the bodies of two adult males with gunshot wounds at the scene. A South Texas man must serve life in prison without parole for killing his common-law wife and her 12-year-old sister in a fight over his drug use. The men beat, tortured,. Weslaco Police Department. Some theorists believe 19-year-old Nathan Elgin committed the murders, while others believethe Annihilator moved to London and became Jack the Ripper. They also claimed that they had come under fire. Marshals service and sheriff's deputies from Leon County which includes Centerville searched the area for Lopez for weeks with no luck. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. [2] On December 13, 2007, he was found guilty of attempted capital murder of a police officer and was handed another life sentence. Authorities believe while Lopez roamed free, he killed a man and his four grandsons, then stole an AR-15-style rifle and a pistol from their ranch near Centerville, as well as the truck he drove to Atascosa County, south of San Antonio, where he was fatally shot by officers. HIDALGO, Texas -- The District 31-5A boys soccer season is heating up. After serving time in prison, McDuff was paroled in 1989 and proceeded to murder at least five more women. WESLACO, TX - On Saturday, December 11, 2021, at bout 6:41 pm, Weslaco Police Department received a call for assistance at the Weslaco R.V Park located at 600 South Bridge Avenue, Weslaco, County of Hidalgo, Texas in reference to shots fired. Weslaco, TX 78596. Of his eight victims, five were African American women employed as domestic servants. When deputiesbegan questioningBall aboutthe recent disappearances of several women, heshot himself with a pistol. Some in the borderlands see parallels with earlier outbreaks of anti-Hispanic militancy in the United States, citing examples like the armed vigilantes patrolling the Arizona desert, the expansion of the Border Patrol, and calls for the mass deportation of undocumented Hispanic immigrants. Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. Police received a tip through the Weslaco Crime Stoppers app on Friday, Feb. 10. Officers tailed Lopez and were instructed to hold back until he entered Jourdanton, so more officers could assist in apprehending him. They are charged with conspiring to bribe a Weslaco City Commissioner in exchange for official actions favorable to three engineering companies and conspiracy to commit money laundering. An autopsy later confirmed that Ramirez's cause of death was three "chop-type" wounds to the head. Since 2005 Weslaco's population has grown by about 10%. Of that total, 16 were for murder/non-negligent manslaughter. In March 2005, Lopez said he was contracted by La Mana drug cartel from Tamaulipas, Mexico, to kidnap a man named Lupe Ramirez from Weslaco in South Texas because he owed the cartel $40,000 . Loftin, a pastor at the Cowboy Church of Leon County, said he used to go to the family's ranch, which also features a "beautiful fishing lake and a pier," to help with cattle management. The girl allegedly was raped during the deadly attack. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Diana Colonia Number 2 / Diana Colonia Number 3, Westgate Estates Colonia / West Highway Colonia. One of the most contentious lynching episodes anywhere in the West involved the ancestors of Ms. Valencia, the El Paso teachers union official. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. In 2006, he was convicted of capital. Weslaco, TX Apartments for Rent. No officer was struck or injured during the exchange of gunfire but Lopez did manage to hit a patrol vehicle's windshield. In 1922, a group of 10 men snatched Elias Villareal Zarate from a jail in Weslaco in South Texas, where he was being held for fighting with a white co-worker. Crime Stats. The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office has issued a warrant for the arrest of Mauricio Mata for the murder of David Silva. The tip accused the student of being in possession of child pornography. Over time, Ball has become part ofTexasfolklore, andmany detailsofhis life and crimesarestill unknown. . "Great food! See if you qualify! TX 77002. Weslaco crime rates are 31% higher than the Texas average. Free Consultation. A judge in Edinburg on Wednesday accepted the. Crime risk indices are nationally comparable on a 1 100 scale, where 100 means safer than 100% of U.S. neighborhoods. [16] After the murders, Lopez stole several guns from the ranch, including an AR-15,[17] as well as a white pickup truck which he fled in. It has unleashed discussions about the scramble for land or mining claims that frequently influenced these lynchings, as well as the traces of such episodes in resurgent anti-Latino sentiment and the question many parts of the United States are confronting: Who gets to tell history? Within Texas, more than 93% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Weslaco. Anglo miners used mob violence in an effort to expel Mexicans or exact revenge. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. Shows how much people think the problem in their community are property crimes (home broken, car theft, etc. According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Weslaco is 3,522.7 per 100,000 people. What is the crime rate in Weslaco, TX? View job description, responsibilities and qualifications. The downtown district offers renters an array of historical buildings and museums. The Tomball School District in suburban Houston said Friday that the grandchildren were students in its district. We also offer funeral pre-planning and carry a wide selection of caskets, vaults, urns and burial containers. "He's crafty,"Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Robert Hurst said of Lopez last week. It is estimated that in the first 5 years of the past decade the population of Weslaco has grown by about 17%. In retaliation, Anglos tracked Mr. Agirer down and fatally shot him in front of his wife, The Austin Weekly Statesman reported at the time. Reasons given for these lynchings varied wildly, including accusations of cattle theft, murder, cheating at cards, refusing to play the fiddle, shouting Viva Diaz! even witchcraft. Value 3.0. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. He then fled the bus on foot and escaped into some woods, where he successfully evaded law enforcement. Centerville residents had been worried ever since May 12, when Lopez overpowered the officer who was driving him and 15 other prisoners near their community between Dallas and Houston. 8,376,755. Lynchings have long been associated with violence against African-Americans in the American South, and these atrocities are remembered at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama. The Weslaco TX murder/homicide rate for 2017 was 0 per 100,000 population, a 100% decline from 2016. Nana's Taqueria. He called them "good, salt of the earth people.". At around 6 p.m. on Thursday, authorities went to a home near Centerville for a welfare check and discovered five bodies. AP Farhan detailed how his depression eventually forced him to drop out of UT Austin, where . The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. The unemployment rate in Weslaco is 10.4% (U.S. avg. At a Friday afternoon news conference, Andy Kahan, the director of victim services and advocacy for Crime Stoppers of Houston, called the family's killing "absolutely one of the most gut-wrenching scenarios that I've dealt with and I've seen a lot and been through a lot.". Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents), Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents). Ms. Tobar is a co-writer of a song, Village Called Porvenir, to remember the massacre. In Weslaco, your chance of becoming a victim of a property crime is one in 36, which is a rate of 28 per one thousand population. Express Inn Weslaco/Mercedes is an excellent choice for travelers visiting Weslaco, offering a budget friendly environment alongside many helpful amenities designed to enhance your stay. Arturo's Bar and Grill. Interactive chart of the Weslaco, Texas murder rate (i.e. (The US average is 22.7) Weslaco property crime is 80.3. The NeighborhoodScout search engine is covered under US Patents No. During the chase, shots were fired at the police by both the driver and Lopez. The Leon County Sheriff's Office has not specified how they were killed. Theres reverence for the nearly godly Texas Rangers. Following the kidnapping, Lopez and Rick took Ramirez to the home of Lopez's mother, where he was kept tied up in a shed. He crawled into the driver's section where he stabbed the corrections officer driving the bus. the number of homicides per 100,000 population) from 1999 to 2018. While many have been apprehended by law enforcement, the identities of some of these murderers remain a mystery more than a century later. The mans vehicle, a 2010 black Chevrolet Silverado truck, was not located at the scene and police suspect the person of interest in the death is driving the truck. Crime, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Lopez escaped to Mexico with the help of the Mexican Mafia. 17-year-old Joseph Greg Trevino was arrested on charges of invasive visual recording. In the spring of 1946 in Texarkana, TX, the Phantom Killer murdered five people and injured three others during a 10-week period. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The sheriff's office considers Mata to be armed and dangerous. Your chance of being a victim of crime in Weslaco may be as high as 1 in 12 in the west neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 25 in the southwest part of the city. His identity has not been released at this time. $129,000. Find Weslaco, TX land for sale at realtor.com. BALLINGER, TX - After the Runnels County Sheriff's Office investigated a home invasion and robbery, they were able to provide DPS and the Weslaco Police Department with the information that led to the arrest of three suspects involved in the murder of a Weslaco doctor in November of last year. EFFECTIVE REAL ESTATE, Nicholas (Nick) Smith. Some victims were burned alive, like Antonio Rodrguez, 20, a migrant worker who was hauled from a jail in Rocksprings, Tex., tied to a tree and set ablaze in 1910. Ms. Valencia and other descendants of lynching victims are now casting attention on one of the grimmest campaigns of racist terror in the American West: the lynching of thousands of men, women and children of Mexican descent from the mid-19th century until well into the 20th century. In Elmendorf, TX, he opened a saloon and built a pond thatcontained fivealligators to whichhe fed live animals. The robbery total was 464, and the aggravated assault total was 1,925. Later that month, Lopez led authorities to the location where he had buried Ramirez's body. Wednesday, March 1, 2023: Hot and breezy, temps in the 90s. [2] In May 2022, Lopez received international attention when he escaped from prison custody by assaulting a corrections officer and fleeing from a prison bus. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. @KHOU has complete coverage of the tragedy: https://t.co/h32yGGxqBG #khou11 pic.twitter.com/QUJMOfpaeH. The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a man died in a shooting in rural Weslaco Saturday. Police then sent out a statewide alert informing police to be on the lookout for a white 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The El Paso Herald reported that Mexicos consul in Denver investigated the episode and concluded that the mob had lynched the wrong men. Date(s) & Update Frequency: Texas Tech University School of Law. In 2005, Lopez kidnapped and murdered a man in Weslaco, Texas. From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Weslaco occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. This undated photo provided by the family via Houston Northwest Church shows, from left to right, Carson Collins, Hudson Collins and Waylon Collins, who authorities believe were all killed by Gonzalo Lopez, 46, a convicted murderer who escaped from prison. Lopez was immediately named as a suspect and police soon learned guns and the family pickup truck had been stolen. Often, they have been portrayed as attempts to exercise justice on behalf of white settlers protecting their livestock or claims to land. Wikipedia An engineering student at the University of Texas named Charles Whitman murdered his wife and mother in their homes on August 1, 1966, and then brought numerous guns to the University of Texas at Austin campus where he shot and killed 14 people and wounded 32 others over a 90 minute period. Following his escape, law enforcement vigorously patrolled Highway 7 and other roads in Centerville, escorting many of the city's nearly 1,000 residents to their homes to ensure they felt safe. The cafe is operated by the students in the WesLaco school district Culinary Arts Program.Read the full story at MyRGV.com. In addition, NeighborhoodScout found that a lot of the crime that takes place in Weslaco is property crime. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 100 % Left coverage: 1 sources. In a statement, their family identified the dead as 66-year-old Mark Collins, and his four grandsons: Waylon Collins, 18; Carson Collins, 16; Hudson Collins, 11; and Bryson Collins, 11. When a Texas doctor was found shot and stabbed to death, an investigation found that he might have been the victim of an alleged murder-for-hire plo t by his girlfriend's apparently jealous ex . California endured its own eruption of lynchings of Mexicans during the Gold Rush from 1848 to 1855 as competition for mining claims intensified. Garza pleaded guilty to capital murder of multiple persons in the May attack. Procurement. 19.03 (a) (1) - (9) (Vernon Supp. Once they arrived, they found 60-year-old Roman Rodriguez dead behind . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Here's what we know", "Escaped murderer kills family of five including three children at their weekend cabin", "Texas escaped inmate Gonzalo Lopez had AR-15, handgun: police", "4 Tomball students, grandfather killed by Texas inmate in ambush are identified by authorities", "Escaped Texas inmate dies in police shootout after allegedly murdering family of 5", "Convicted murderer who escaped 3 weeks ago was killed by police hours after he was ID'd as suspect in killing of family of 5", "Convicted murderer who escaped prison bus killed in shootout with police after slaying 4 kids and grandfather, Texas officials say", "Texas suspends inmate transports after escapee stabbed bus driver, killed 5", "Texas temporarily halts prisoner transports after Gonzalo Lopez escape and 3-week manhunt", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gonzalo_Lopez&oldid=1128623988, This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 03:05. According to a release, police responded to the Weslaco R.V. Around 150,000 people in the Rio Grande Valley Fire weather watch to go into effect Thursday. How Tomball Little League honored 18 y/o Waylon Collins. Valley View pulled out a pivotal home win over Sharyland High, 4-3 after Edinburg, Texas (Feb. 28, 2023) The Rio UTRGV beats Utah Valley 69-59, pick up third win in a row. Waylon was also an umpire for Tomball Little League, which held a moment of silence in his honor featuring a framed umpire shirt and the type of baseball cap Waylon often wore. Rental prices in Weslaco are 29% lower than the Texas average. Armed with guns, the men tied up Ramirez and threatened his wife at gunpoint. Her mother, Olga Gonzalez, filed a lawsuit against the hospital, its parent-company Prime Healthcare, and one of its physicians last week. Deputies with the sheriff's office responded to the 2100 block of Esperanza Street at around midnight, where they encountered a male identified as 44-year-old David Silva with gunshot wounds. More Cost of Living or Compare Weslaco's Cost of Living. He was convicted of aggravated assault, possession of marijuana, failure to stop and render aid (hit and run), and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. However, the calls later stopped. Anyone with information should call the sheriffs office at (956) 383-8114. 3 bds; 2 ba; 1,335 sqft - Condo for sale. Lopez, however, remained at large. In the list below, we'll look at 17 of the most infamous Texas serial killers and their crimes. My grandfather kept everything about the massacre to himself, which kind of amazed me, said Ms. Valencia, reflecting on why it took so long for her to find out about the killings. 2016 Crime in Weslaco End of the Year Report. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Weslaco Crime Stoppers at (956) 968-8477. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Escaped Texas killer Gonzalo Lopez dies in police shootout. I want to see hotel recommendations when using Rome2rio Lopez later bludgeoned Ramirez's head with a pickaxe and buried his body in a desert. 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The cases, often referred to as the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, involved shooting young couples who parked their cars on secluded lovers' lanes late at night. Sep 7, 2022. Violent Crimes - Murder Rape Robbery Assault La Prensa, a San Antonio newspaper,. See Tex. Joe Ball was a 1930s bootlegger whois believed to have killed between two and 20 women. People who live in Weslaco generally consider the northwest part of the city to be the safest for this type of crime. Authorities said he belonged to the Mexican Mafia, which is a prison gang, and was a contract killer for at least two drug cartels. He was sentenced to life in prison. It was higher than in 84.3% U.S. cities. According to our research of Texas and other state lists, there were 150 registered sex offenders living in Weslaco, Texas as of March 01, 2023. Methodology: We don't live in the valley anymore but every time we're in. [2][7], On March 23, 2005, Lopez and an acquaintance known only as "Rick" broke into the home of 37-year-old Jose Guadalupe Ramirez in Weslaco, Texas. Crime. 1809 Redbud Lane, Weslaco, TX 78596 2 Bedrooms $1,050 857 sqft Come check out this new gated subdivision in Weslaco. A rookie Homicide detective's negligence in a fellow officer's death has her searching for redemption in her investigations. Governor Greg Abbott held a roundtable on Texas's ongoing border security efforts. Gonzalo Artemio Lopez (February 10, 1976 June 2, 2022)[1] was an American fugitive, mass murderer, and prison escapee who killed a total of six people in separate murders in 2005 and 2022. First published on Mon 27 Jun 2022 14.28 EDT. Weslaco wants to use the airport as a staging area for regional emergency response. One of the BEST local restaurants, hands down! About SDTX; Find Help; Contact Us; Main Menu. OREM, Utah The University of Texas Rio La Entrevista: Como lograr que el ejercicio sea algo divertido en vez de una tarea. HIDALGO COUNTY, TX 12 HOURS AGO 9 Comment Select your ideal criteria and let Scout do the rest. Lopez and another person kidnapped Ramirez and left him "hog tied in an outside room of my mom's residence" as they went to pick up money and marijuana that Ramirez's family had left for them, according to court records. Tomball High School student Madeline McFarland said she knew Waylon Collins. The Murders: Created by Damon Vignale. Though lynching in general is to be condemned, yet to every case there is an exception, The Santa Fe New Mexican reported at the time. Weslaco sent a large delegation to meet with members of the Texas House and Senate. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). La Prensa, a San Antonio newspaper, described how the mob hanged him, raising the ire of Mexican diplomats who were trying to curb such killings. The Presidio County attorney worried that the dedication ceremony for a marker could serve as the backdrop for a major political rally for Beto ORourke, the Democrat who last fall was a candidate for the United States Senate, according to The Texas Observer, which wrote an extensive report on the dispute. A high-speed chase followed, involving police officers from both Zapata County and Webb County. Violent Crime Rate. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Weslaco, Texas (TX): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. You can start building your own collection of David Bowie memorabilia thanks to his extensive body of music, film and more. [9] According to Lopez, the La Mana leader, Juan Lerma, had ordered them to kidnap Ramirez because he owed the cartel $40,000. MEDINA REAL ESTATE - WESLACO, Jose (Luis) Garcia. is 6.0%). Report a Crime. It was a turbulent time on the border when you had a lot of people getting killed on both sides, said Mr. White, who still lives on the familys ranch and refrains from calling the killings a massacre. (956) 854-4363 107 W. 6th Street. 505 Angelita Dr, Weslaco, TX, 78596 Weslaco's property crime levels tend to be much higher . On May 14, the reward for information leading to his arrest increased to $50,000. Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. The 2019 Weslaco crime rate fell by 1% compared to 2018. The victims were Veronica Serrano Rivera and her little sister, Elisa Rivera. The State of the City will be RGV food bank expecting higher demand from families after Covid SNAP benefits expire. Property Crime in Mission, Texas (TX): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities Texas, Texas smaller cities, Texas small towns Mission main page US Crime Crime rate in Mission, Texas (TX) He refused to name his accomplice. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations. Herrera was arrested Monday after leading authorities on an hours long manhunt. 608 Buena Vista Dr. 608 Buena Vista Dr, Weslaco, TX 78596.