The Associated Press
EDINBURG, Texas (AP) -- The suspected gang leader in a January gunfire attack that left six men dead was arraigned on six counts of capital murder Friday after being nabbed in a traffic stop, police said.
Jeffrey “Dragon” Juarez, 27, is being held at the Hidalgo County Jail on $18 million bond.
Juarez is the 11th suspect taken into custody for the Jan. 5 attack, Edinburg Police Chief Quirino Munoz said. Police believe a 12th and final suspect, 27-year-old Juan Miguel Nunez, may be hiding in Mexico.
Juarez was caught Wednesday after Pharr police pulled over the vehicle he was in for speeding.
A small amount of marijuana was found in the vehicle, and police took the occupants in to the station for booking.
They fingerprinted Juarez after he was evasive about his identity, Munoz said.
He said the police also got an anonymous tip about who they had in custody.
The prints matched those of Juarez, who investigators believe to be the top suspect in the killings.
Investigators say the 12 men, some dressed in police garb, stormed two rundown homes on a rural lot in search of drugs and money and opened fire when none were found.
The mother of two of the victims was left tied up with electrical cords. She freed herself and called police.
Killed were brothers Jerry Eugene Hidalgo and Ray Hidalgo, Jimmy Edward Almendariz, brothers Juan Delgado Junior and Juan Delgado III and Ruben Rolando Castillo.
Police said their investigation revealed that the gunmen were members of a local gang known as the Tri City Bombers.
“We had been looking for this individual for a while,” Munoz said. “That just shows you, when you’re a fugitive, we don’t stop looking for you. Sooner or later you get caught.”