One woman remains in custody on a high bond, while authorities are searching for her brother in connection with an argument that escalated into a homicide.
Candie Reyna, 28, was arrested near the scene of the crime and formally charged with murder later that day. Pharr Municipal Court Judge Luis Singleterry set her bond at $1 millionbefore having her sent to the Hidalgo County Jail.
Reyna’s brother, 29-year-old Pharr resident Alberto Reyna, remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.
The brother and sister are accused of murdering 29-year-old Roel Rocha after an apparent argument and fight, court records show.
The killing took place early Wednesday morning, shortly after midnight, at an apartment complex in the 100 block of S. Cage Blvd., according to a news release from the Pharr Police Department.
Rocha, who is from Houston, was visiting relatives at the apartment complex — located above a business directly in front of City Hall – for Easter, the building’s owner Patricia Lopezsaid.
A witness was drinking beer with Rocha outside of his family’s apartment, near the parking lot area, when Rocha and Candie Reyna got into an argument, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by Pharr police.
Candie Reyna got her brother, who got into an argument with Rocha and then told her to get him his machete, according to the affidavit.
Rocha tried to walk away but tripped and fell, giving Alberto Reyna an opportunity to assault him; as Rocha tried to get up, he was stabbed in the chest, the affidavit shows. After getting stabbed Rocha held his chest, called out for help and tried to walk up to the apartment.
Through information gathered at the scene, officers were able to stop a gold-colored vehicle driven by Candie Reyna.
Lopez said it wasn’t the first time Alberto Reyna had posed problems at her building.
“”We’ve had the apartment for eight years, and we’ve never had issues like this until we let this guy move in,”” Lopez said. “”Albert has issues. He would snap at whoever was looking at his wife.””
Lopez’s husband Nick said he had faced problems with Alberto Reyna, too.
“”I had already talked to him because he flashed a knife at another tenant,”” he said. “”He wanted to be the boss of that area.””