2 people arrested in Brownsville murder case

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two men were arrested in Brownsville after police obtained a search warrant in connection with a murder investigation.

According to jail records, 35-year-old Alejandro Alvarado was arrested on charges of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct and discharge of a firearm.

On May 18 at 2:29 a.m., Brownsville Police responded to the 100 block of Blanche Street. Upon arrival, they found 25-year-old Armando Rivera dead in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Rivera and another man were shot by Alvarado as they drove down Calle Galaxia. Police say that’s when Rivera was hit.

The driver drove Rivera to Blanche Street, where he parked the vehicle and notified his family, who then contacted authorities.

Police added that a second man, 33-year-old Luciano Cesar Avina, shot Rivera in an earlier incident as they reached the 1100 block of Calle Terrestre, where Rivera lived. Avina fled the scene and no injuries were reported from that incident, police said.

On May 24, Brownville police, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals, conducted a search and arrest warrant in the 1100 block of Calle Galaxia, where Alvarado was arrested in connection with Rivera’s death.

Avina, who lived in the same house, was also taken into custody during the execution of the warrant. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of assault causing death and one count of discharging a firearm.

Alvarado’s bail was set at $355,000 and Avina’s at $205,000.