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A Hidalgo County magistrate judge denied bond for an Alton man accused of going on a shooting rampage and killing four members of his family.

Roberto Aguirre Rojas faces mutliple capital murder charges following the slaying of three small children and his mother-in-law as well as the attempted murder of his estranged wife.

The massacre happened northwest of Alton on Saturday night.

According to Hidalgo County Sheriff investigators, 42-year-old Rojas went to his in-laws' home carrying a handgun and a rifle.

Rojas allegedly went on a rampage shooting his mother-in-law, two stepchildren and his own 3 year old son, possibly while they were sleeping.

Sheriff's deputies identified the victims as:

• Amelia Flores, 45 (suspect's mother-in-law)
• Mauro Garza, 8 (suspect's stepson)
• Sylvestre Garza, 6 (suspect's stepson)
• Osiel Rojas, 3 (suspect's son)

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said Rojas turned the gun on his estranged wife Amelia Rojas.

Treviño said after he shot the 25-year-old woman twice in the stomach and beat her with a rifle.

But Rojas was eventually disarmed by his father-in-law Ruben Flores.

Deputies said Flores struck Rojas with the rifle so hard that it broke in half.

Sheriff Treviño said Rojas fled the scene but investigators eventually convinced him to turn himself in on Sunday.

Treviño said the Rojas confessed to the shooting rampage.

Rojas told investigators that he did it because his marriage was on the rocks.

"They'd been married for five years and they'd been separated for 3 months," Treviño said. "She had not filed for divorce as had been reported but she had consulted with an attorney about filing for a divorce and Mr. Rojas was not in agreement with that."

Rojas also apparently didn't agree with the fact that his younger wife was going to college.

Amelia was rushed to a McAllen hospital where she has reportedly fallen into a coma.

As for prior violence, Rojas has no prior history.

Sheriff Treviño said the only legal trouble he's encountered was over failure to pay child support from a previous marriage.

Investigators don't know if he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics the night of the shooting.

At his Monday arraignment, when a judge asked Rojas if he needed a court appointed attorney.

Rojas replied, "I don't need an attorney...I don't need a defense...I don't need anything."

Treviño said he has asked Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene Guerra to seek the death penalty.