Third arrest in Hidalgo County murder case

A third person is facing charges in connection with the death of a person reported missing earlier this month, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Alejandro Cantu, 28, was charged with tampering with evidence on Thursday after allegedly using an excavator to bury the victim’s body, a press release said.

Cantu’s bail was set at $1 million.

The investigation began on May 13 when the sheriff’s office received a report of a homicide at a residence in the 1900 block of Morning Set in San Juan. The sheriff’s office said the report was linked to that of a person reported as “possibly missing” on May 11.

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Investigators later learned that the body had been moved and buried in a residence in the 4600 block of East Wisconsin Road, where Hernandez De Leon’s body had been found on May 17.

According to a news release Friday, De Leon’s body was found in a barrel buried on the property.

“Investigators have information that suggests Cantu was observed lifting the excavator used to bury the barrel containing Hernandez De Leon’s body and that Cantu knew the body was in the barrel,” the press release said.

Three men – Jesus Grijalva, Roberto Salas and Samuel Uvalle Sr. – were previously identified by the sheriff’s office as the suspects responsible for the murder.

Grijalva and Uvalle Sr. are in custody and investigators are still searching for Salas.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at 956-383-8114.