Two teenagers have been arrested after beating their stepdad to death over claims he molested their nine-year-old half-sister.
Christian Trevino, and Alejandro Trevino, both 18, were arrested by the Pharr Police Department on Saturday for the brutal killing of Gabriel Quintanilla, 42, last Thursday. Police also arrested their friend, Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, who is accused of helping the brothers in the assault that led to the death of their stepdad.
The Pharr Police Department said Quintanilla was beaten with brass knuckles and thrown into the flatbed of a pickup truck before the defendants abandoned his body in a field in McAllen, Texas.
Quintanilla suffered head trauma and police say he may have been alive when the brothers and their pal dumped his body.
Christian Trevino and Melendez, who are accused of delivering the fatal blows, were charged with capital murder, aggravated assault, and engaging in organized criminal activity.
Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.
In a press conference posted on YouTube, Pharr Police Chief Juan Gonzalez said that an underage girl related to Alejandro and Christian Trevino claimed on the day of the assault that Quintanilla had touched her inappropriately at an RV park.
The brothers became enraged when they learned of this and confronted their stepfather at their home
The Pharr police said a fight ensued between the three men before Quintanilla took off, running away.
Police believe that Christian Trevino chased Quintanilla to a nearby apartment complex, where a second assault occurred involving the three suspects, the chief said. Melendez is accused of driving Alejandro Trevino to the second assault in a red Dodge Charger.
Police said the three suspects then left Quintanilla, changed vehicles to a white Ford F-150, and drove back to look for Quintanilla, who they found walking alone and injured. The three then assaulted the man a third time, using brass knuckles and causing severe head trauma, according to San Antonio Express-News.
On Tuesday, Pharr police chief Andy Harvey revealed during a press conference that Quintanilla had a 2019 arrest warrant for allegedly s*xually abusing another minor.
Quintanilla had s*xually assaulted the girl between 2014 and 2016.
‘He was being elusive, obviously hiding from us,’ Harvey said.
The three teens remain in Hidalgo County jail.