On September 11, 2023, 30-year-old Roberto Garza was shot and killed outside his residence at 3409 Mezcal Drive in Pharr, Texas. Witnesses say Garza answered a knock from a man who identified himself as Chito; an argument followed, Garza stepped outside with a knife, went back inside, then came out again. Multiple gunshots were heard and a voice reportedly said that’s what you get in Spanish before the shooter fled in a black four-door vehicle. Garza was struck multiple times in the face, head and neck.

The suspect was identified as 26-year-old Rheinchard Chito Lara, Garza’s brother-in-law. Lara surrendered to Pharr police on September 12, 2023, and was charged with first-degree murder. Bond was initially set at $750,000 and later reduced to $400,000; Lara remains in custody at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center. A grand jury returned an indictment in November 2023 and an arraignment is scheduled for Lara to respond to the charge.

The community has mourned Garza, and a memorial page has drawn tributes. If anyone saw the events outside 3409 Mezcal Drive that night or has information about the shooting, please come forward.