Two men charged after car jacking, police chase

NORTH OF WESLACO — Two men allegedly stole a truck at gunpoint and used the vehicle to lead authorities on a chase through several cities, officials said.

Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies responded to the aggravated robbery about 8 p.m. Tuesday at A&V Drive-Thru, a convenience store east of Farm-to-Market Road 88 and 12 ½ North, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. A victim there told police that someone had taken his black pickup truck.

As deputies rushed to the location, the victim called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers that he was following the stolen vehicle while the suspects drove along Expressway 83. The deputies attempted to pull over the truck but it drove away westbound on Expressway 83.

The pursuit went through several cities and ended near a canal bank located north of 5 Mile Line on Abram Road, where the occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

Using patrol vehicles, a canine unit and a Border Patrol helicopter, authorities caught up to Raul Francisco Altamira, 18, and Juan A. Sierra, 20. Palmview police, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Border Patrol assisted the sheriff’s office during the pursuit.

Both men were charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest at an arraignment at the Hidalgo County Jail. They remained at the jail Tuesday afternoon in lieu of a $10,000 bond.

If found guilty of aggravated robbery, the men could face up to life in prison and a possible $10,000 fine.

According to public records, Altamira was convicted with burlary of a building earlier this year.

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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor.  She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.