By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
The Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fatal shooting of a man in an east central area of the county about 45 miles north of Del Rio early this morning, Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez confirmed.
Martinez told The 830 Times his office was notified of the deadly shooting at 12:09 a.m. today and said the incident was reported as “an officer-involved shooting just north of the Loma Alta store.”
Loma Alta is a small community about 40 miles north of Del Rio that includes a gas station and convenience store and serves as a stop for travelers along U.S. Highway 277.
Martinez said the shooting occurred about five miles north of Loma Alta.
“Deputies were dispatched, along with our CID (criminal investigations division) and our evidence technician,” Martinez said.
When sheriff’s office personnel arrived at the scene, they found “one deceased male who has yet to be identified,” Martinez said.
Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Randel Dissler has ordered an autopsy.
Martinez said the man who was found deceased was located “off the road.”
At this time, the shooting remains under investigation, though several phone calls to The 830 Times have alleged that the deceased man shot himself.
Asked whether there had been a vehicle chase prior to the shooting, Martinez said, “By looking at the original call, a pursuit, so there was a chase.”
At the time of this morning’s interview, Martinez said it was not yet known whether the man was a U.S. citizen or a migrant from another country.
“The incident is currently under investigation. All of our CID is involved in the investigation along with other federal agencies,” Martinez said.
The sheriff provided The 830 Times with an email for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s media relations for any statements from Border Patrol officials. The 830 Times also reached out to the Del Rio Sector public information staff but had not yet received a response.
