Two men charged in Mercedes slaying

MERCEDES -- Two men were charged Friday night with first-degree murder, accused of killing a Donna man Wednesday night as he visited his friends.

Silverio Guadalupe Gamez is suspected of repeatedly stabbing Abraham Garcia-Lopez, an illegal immigrant from Cancun, Q.R., Mexico, at a home at the corner of West 10th Street and South Indiana Avenue in Mercedes shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday, said Mercedes police Chief Olga Maldonado.

Alexander Joseph Zamora, a friend of Gamez, is also suspected of being involved in the murder; however, police declined to elabo-rate on what role they believe he played.

Gamez turned himself in to authorities Friday night at the Progreso International Bridge hours after police announced he was a suspect in the killing. Gamez confessed to the slaying and implicated Zamora as an accomplice, police said.

The Robledo family Garcia had stopped to visit suspects that Gamez - the boyfriend of Garcia's ex-girlfriend - and another man followed Garcia to their home and, once there, attacked him and his friend Ignacio Robledo, 32, as the two talked in Robledo's driveway.

One of the men threw Robledo to the ground while the other man stabbed Garcia at least twice with what appeared to be an ice pick, the family said.

They also said Garcia had recently visited his ex-girlfriend. They believe that's why a man they identified as Gamez followed Garcia to their home.

Zamora and Gamez are each charged with first-degree felony murder, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Gamez also is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Bond for Zamora was set at $1 million. Gamez's total bond was set at $1.1 million.
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Sean Gaffney covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.