HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Law enforcement documents provided details after a man was arrested for allegedly killing his brother with a PVC pipe, authorities said.
Luis Matilde Cruz was arrested on a charge of murder and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, according to Hidalgo County Jail records.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by ValleyCentral details the death that happened on Christmas Day in 2022.
The affidavit stated that on Dec. 25, 2022, a deputy with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mission Regional Hospital in reference to a deceased man, identified as Saul Cruz. Employees at the hospital told authorities that Luis Cruz arrived at the hospital with his brother Saul, who was pronounced dead after attempts to perform life-saving measures.
The deputy made contact with Luis, who said he took his brother to the hospital after he found him unresponsive at their home. Luis said at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, Saul went out with somebody and returned home at 2 a.m. “highly intoxicated” and appeared to be beat up, the document stated.
HCSO investigators responded to the Tree of Life Nursery in Mission, and at the property found seven blood-stained plastic PVC pipes, according to the affidavit.
Investigators spoke with a witness who said that Luis and Saul were drinking beer and whiskey all night at the Tree of Life Nursey. He said he went to bed at 1 a.m. but Saul and Luis remained outside drinking.
Following this, investigators met with Luis who admitted to “beating his brother with a pipe,” the document stated.
On Dec. 28, an autopsy was conducted, showing the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and the manner of death to be homicide, authorities said.
Cruz was taken into custody and his bond was set at $1.5 million, records show.
