Ruben Castillo, a 35-year-old Hispanic man from Corpus Christi, Texas, was a devoted father of six children and a beloved figure in his local youth sports community. He was a dedicated supporter of the Corpus Christi Sun Devils, a football team for middle-school-aged boys. The team’s head coach remembered him as a “comforting presence” who “always made the moment about all our boys.” Friends recalled that Ruben lived for his sons and was always talking about how proud he was of them.
On the night of November 14, 2020, Corpus Christi police responded to a shooting at An’s Market, located in the 3100 block of South Port Avenue. Officers arrived to find Ruben Castillo suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on November 15. His brother started a fundraiser to help cover funeral arrangements and provide for Ruben’s children.
The investigation into Ruben’s death led police to two suspects.
On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force and CCPD SWAT officers executed a warrant at a residence in the 700 block of Glenoak Drive. They arrested 26-year-old Jose Luis Erebia without incident. A woman at the location, 29-year-old Vallenie Sanchez, was also taken into custody and charged with hindering apprehension. Ten days later, on November 30, police arrested a second suspect, 27-year-old Roland Cabrera, in the 4000 block of Schanen Boulevard.
On February 26, 2021, a Nueces County grand jury formally indicted both Roland Cabrera and Jose Luis Erebia on suspicion of murder in the death of Ruben Castillo. The grand jury also indicted Cabrera on an additional charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. As of March 2021, both men remained in custody at the Nueces County Jail. Cabrera’s bond was set at $1 million. Erebia, who also faced unrelated charges for aggravated robbery and assault family violence, was being held without bond as the case proceeded toward trial.
