Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating the death of a Relampago man who allegedly jumped out of a moving car.
Deputies told Action 4 News that 31-year-old Samuel Fernandez, Jr. died on Sunday evening.
A passerby reported seeing his body off FM 491 and Military Highway.
An investigation revealed that Fernandez and his common law wife had been arguing at their home in the rural Hidalgo County community of Relampago.
The two allegedly left in their 2001 Oldsmobile and were driving along FM 491 when Fernandez allegedly started to assault his common law wife while she was driving.
The woman told deputies that she fought back and Fernandez threatened to jump out of the car.
She told deputies that she slowed down and that he jumped out of the moving car.
The woman told investigators that she drove to her sister-in-law’s home in Mercedes fearing Fernandez would assault her again.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said the case is being investigated as an equivocal death.
“An un-natural death has occurred, and it is our responsibility to determine the manner of death,” Treviño said in a written statement. “We need to gather evidence to attempt to determine whether the victim voluntarily jumped out, was he pushed, or did he accidently fall out of the moving vehicle. This is not an overnight determination, but rather a lengthy one. What also needs to be determined is if the victim’s wife was legally responsible to stop and render aid rather than driving off to make a phone call to authorities.”
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