Willacy man shot to death in Guanajuato

RAYMONDVILLE — A member of a well-known Willacy County farming family was found shot to death Wednesday in Guanajuato, Mexico, according to the online edition of Correo, the state newspaper.

Paul Wetegrove, 46, whose family grows onions, sugar cane and cabbage outside Raymondville, was reportedly shot by a man who approached him in a red Dodge Caravan, Correo stated. There were four other men in the vehicle.

A man at the office of the Wetegrove packing shed on Farm-to-Market 762 on Friday refused to comment on the published reports. He said that the family wanted its privacy at this time

"What's happened has happened," he said. "We want you to respect our privacy."

He declined to give his name, but a worker took a reporter to his office when asked to speak to "the boss, Mr. Wetegrove."

Frank Torres, director of Willacy County Emergency Medical Service, said his office had also received at least five calls about the incident on Friday.

Wetegrove was inspecting some carrot-washing equipment at a farm near the town San Juan de la Vega in the Celaya municipality, the report stated, when the man pulled up and fired at least six shots at him.

Investigators quoted in the Correo report said that Wetegrove was wounded but able to climb into the driver's seat of his Ford Expedition before succumbing to the wounds, including one to his head.

He managed to put the Expedition into drive. The SUV traveled about 500 yards before it stopped against a levee.

The report stated that police went to the shooting scene around 7 p.m. Wednesday, after receiving a report that a man was badly injured and found Wetegrove's body shortly after he died.

Willacy County Sheriff Larry Spence checked the license plate number of the 1990 Expedition, reported in the Mexican media, and said that the plate is registered to a Paul A. Wetegrove at an address in Palm Valley. But, he said, the state vehicle records state that the plate number is for a 2002 Ford.

Valley Morning Star reporter Allen Essex contributed to this report