Fidel Garza Jr., Robbery of Motor Vehicle, Texas 2021

State: Texas
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/rgv-carjacker-sent-prison-0" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A 35-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for robbery of a motor vehicle with intent to cause serious harm or death, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Fidel Garza Jr. pleaded guilty on February 15 to the crime, which occurred on November 25, 2021, in the 1200 block of 28th Street in McAllen.

According to court documents, Garza was riding in the passenger seat of a truck that pulled in front of an SUV and stopped. A 67-year-old man was driving the vehicle, which had three minor passengers. Garza exited the passenger side of the truck and approached the SUV, pointing a handgun at the driver and demanding that he and his passengers get out of the vehicle.

Fearing for their lives, the driver and passengers complied with Garza’s demands, and he then entered the SUV and fled the scene. Law enforcement tracked him to a rural location in Edinburg, where he was arrested in December 2021. At the time of his arrest, Garza admitted his role in the robbery.

Garza’s sentencing hearing revealed additional evidence regarding his criminal history, including prior felony convictions for discharging a firearm in 2016 and being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2021.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Garza an 85-month term of imprisonment, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. Garza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The McAllen Police Department and Texas Department of Criminal Justice conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and the Edinburg Police Department as part of the Rio Grande Valley Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony J. Evans and James Sturgis prosecuted the case.

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