Body identified in Hidalgo County

Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies discovered the body of Marcos H. Lopez, 47, just before 5 p.m. in a pickup truck at La Guerita Bar, near the intersection of State Highway 107 and 86th Street in San Carlos. He had a bullet hole in the right side of his head.

Lopez’s body was found in the passenger seat of the truck, a silver Chevrolet S-10, but none of the windows were shattered, leading investigators to believe the shooter was either inside the vehicle with him or that Lopez’s body was placed in the truck after his death, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.

"A timeline is being developed to determine the whereabouts and personal contacts the victim might have had prior to the shooting," he said. "Several strong leads are being pursued."

A search of public records revealed Lopez had misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession and driving while intoxicated.

Employees of the bar said the truck had been parked outside the business since Thursday morning, but none of them noticed the body until a patron spotted it later in the day.

La Guerita owner Maria Hernandez said she did not recognize Lopez as a regular customer.

The man’s death marks the 37th homicide investigation in Hidalgo County this year and the 20th for the sheriff’s office in that same time. Before Thursday’s incident, the agency’s most recent homicide case was opened a week ago in connection with the shooting death of 18-year-old Joshua Mora Vega.