Thread: Matamoros man charged with running over girlfriend, 'I'm sorry'

brownsvilleherald.com
By NAXIELY LOPEZ/The Monitor
January 23, 2012 2:40 PM


Staff at Hidalgo County Jail escort Sergio Osvaldo Garcia, 23, into a courtroom Monday morning. Garcia is accused of killing his girlfriend Jullilah Rivas, 17, with a vehicle Sunday morning.

EDINBURG — A man accused of killing his girlfriend with a vehicle early Sunday morning apologized at his murder arraignment Monday morning.

Justice of the Peace Charlie Espinoza charged Sergio Osvaldo Garcia, 23, with the first-degree felony and issued him a half-a-million dollar bond.

“I’m sorry. Very sorry,” Garcia said as jail personnel at the Hidalgo County Detention Center escorted him out of the courtroom.

The 23-year-old confessed to killing his live-in girlfriend Jullilah Rivas, 17, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.

Witnesses driving along Mile 4, south of Mile 19, saw Garcia’s red Ford Expedition strike Rivas as she walked along a dirt shoulder on the right side of the road about 1:45 a.m., Treviño said. Garcia reportedly passed several witnesses at a high rate of speed, swerved a bit and then drove in a direct line toward Rivas.

Crime scene investigators did not find any skid marks on the road, he added. They have yet to determine how fast Garcia drove.

The couple argued at a friend’s party — located a couple of blocks away from the scene of the wreck —moments before the collision, Treviño said. Garcia reportedly hit Rivas at the party before she decided to walk home.

The couple fought because Garcia wanted to continue partying, while Rivas didn't, Treviño said.

Rivas called her mother to ask her to pick her up as she trekked through Mile 4, the sheriff added. Investigators believe she was still on the line with her mother when Garcia struck her.

The line went dead, Treviño said.

The drivers who witnessed the accident stopped at the scene of the wreck and helped Garcia put Rivas in his vehicle. They then followed Garcia to his home, where a judge pronounced Rivas dead.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers began the investigation, but turned it over to the sheriff’s office after witnesses reported what they saw.

Sheriff’s investigators continued to examine the Expedition, which has visible front-end damage on the passenger’s side, for evidence Monday morning.

Garcia was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the murder, Treviño said. His blood-alcohol concentration was not immediately available.

Investigators do not know if he was under the influence of other drugs. It’s unclear if they drew Garcia’s blood for a sample.

Treviño asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to place a detainer on Garcia because he is an illegal immigrant from Matamoros.

The 23-year-old — who told everyone he was 19 years old — has a long list of offenses in his juvenile record, Treviño said. He could not reveal details of his record because of confidentiality issues, but said Garcia had not been arrested since becoming an adult.

Matamoros man charged with running over girlfriend, 'I'm sorry' | matamoros, running, sorry - Brownsville Herald

This violence is directly attributable to the 'machismo' attitude that Latino men are engrained with towards not just their women, but all women.

mindset: 'if i can't have it, nobody can.'

The girl killed was 17 and she was his live-in? It seems her mother was OK with it.

“I’m sorry. Very sorry,” Garcia said as jail personnel at the Hidalgo County Detention Center escorted him out of the courtroom.

Sure he was sorry, he didn't evern slow down when he hit her.

Crime scene investigators did not find any skid marks on the road, he added. They have yet to determine how fast Garcia drove.

Garcia reportedly hit Rivas at the party before she decided to walk home

I agree with you H2B Mr. Macho was a woman beater.

Who helps someone put a dead person in the car instead of calling the police? Or, if she was still alive, deprive her of medical care?

The drivers who witnessed the accident stopped at the scene of the wreck and helped Garcia put Rivas in his vehicle. They then followed Garcia to his home, where a judge pronounced Rivas dead.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

The girl killed was 17 and she was his live-in? It seems her mother was OK with it.

Sure he was sorry, he didn't evern slow down when he hit her.

I agree with you H2B Mr. Macho was a woman beater.

Who helps someone put a dead person in the car instead of calling the police? Or, if she was still alive, deprive her of medical care?

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IIRC, the legal sex age in Mexico is 12 or 14. These animals bring that same culture here, and often subtract 8 or 10 years from it.