Argument leads to slaying outside Weslaco bar

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>> Anyone with information about the shooting or the location of Fernando Reyes, 25, of Weslaco, is urged to contact Weslaco Crime Stoppers at (956) 968-8477.

WESLACO — An argument between two bar patrons led to a fatal shooting early Wednesday morning.

Witnesses told police they saw Fernando Reyes of Weslaco shoot a man in the head outside Tequila Charly’s Bar and Grill, 318 W. Pike Blvd.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting about 1:45 a.m. and found Michael Anthony Sanchez, 28, with a gunshot wound to his head as he lay in the parking lot, police said.

An exact motive remains unclear, but Weslaco police spokesman David Molina said “it seemed to be some sort of argument or something like that.”

Emergency crews responded, but Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Gilberto Saenz pronounced him dead at the scene.

Reyes allegedly fired one gunshot at Sanchez. Investigators believe the two men did not know each other before the argument.

They said Reyes is believed to have left the scene in a tan 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe with Texas license plate number PMS409.

Police said Reyes stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, has black hair, a dark complexion and brown eyes, and weighs about 250 pounds. Authorities consider him armed and dangerous and said he should be approached with caution.

Court records show Reyes has been convicted of assault and delivery of a controlled substance. He also has a Wednesday court date on theft charges.

Sanchez’s slaying marks at least the 36th new homicide investigation in Hidalgo County this year — four of those have been in Weslaco. On Tuesday, authorities charged Mario Salinas Jr. in connection with a suspected arson last month that left a woman and her son dead.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.