South Texas teens kill mom’s boyfriend for molesting 9-year-old sister

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A pair of South Texas brothers are in jail after they killed their mother’s boyfriend for reportedly molesting their 9-year-old sister.

According to Pharr Police Chief Andy Harvey Jr., 17-year-old Christian Trevino and 18-year-old Alejandro 17-year-old Christian Trevino confronted and assaulted their mother’s on-again-off-again boyfriend 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla last Friday over allegations he had been sexually molesting their 9-year-old half-sister. Quintanilla is also the father of the 9-year-old girl.

Quintanilla reportedly ran from the residence after the assault on foot, after which Christian followed.

The arrest affidavit states that Alejandro and an unidentified juvenile male were picked up in a Dodge Charger by 18-year-old Juan Eduardo Melendez to search for Christian and Quintanilla.

The group eventually located Christian at a nearby apartment complex assaulting Quintanilla for a second time using brass knuckles, the report states, prompting Alejandro and Melendez to get out of the car and join in.

The group eventually left Quintanilla near the apartment complex and reportedly went to Melendez’s home where they swapped out vehicles with a pickup truck, police said.

The juvenile told police they dropped Alejandro off at his house, but Christian remained with the group in the pickup truck.

The group encountered Quintanilla walking on the side of the road where Christian and Melendez proceeded to assault him for a third time. After Quintanilla was knocked unconscious, Christian and Melendez put the man in the bed of the pickup truck and drove him to an “unknown and dark road” near an open field and dumped his body in McAllen.

The juvenile told police they could hear Quintanilla in the bed of the pickup truck during the drive “moaning in pain” and “snoring very loud” before they left him in the field.

Christian, Melendez and the juvenile returned to Melendez’s home where they burned the clothes they wore during the assaults.

The group reportedly cooperated with police during the investigation.

Christian is charged with capital murder, aggravated assault of a family member and engaging in organized crime. He remains in the Hidalgo County jail on a $1.5 million bond.

Alejandro is charged with aggravated assault of a family member and engaging in organized crime. He remains in the Hidalgo County jail on a $1 million bond.

Melendez is charged with capital murder, aggravated assault of a family member, engaging in organized crime and misdemeanor marijuana possession. He remains in the Hidalgo County jail on a $1.5 million bond.

Authorities said Tuesday they were issued an arrest warrant for Quintanilla’s arrest for an unrelated 2019 sexual abuse case but were not able to locate him until his body was discovered last week.