Man pleads guilty in deadly stabbing of 81-year-old grandfather

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Rio Grande City man pleaded guilty Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of his 81-year-old grandfather.

Andrew Villalon pleaded guilty to a charge a first degree murder in the killing of his grandfather Joseph Seale, the Starr County District Attorney's Office told ValleyCentral.

_{Andrew Villalon (Starr County Jail)}

Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 40 years for the killing.

On June 27, 2022, police received a call from someone asking for help. The caller told dispatch that Villalon had stabbed someone on Kennedy Street in Rio Grande City. When officers arrived, they found Seale dead, with multiple stab wounds.

According to Rio Grande City police, Villalon was located a street over on Teodora Drive, with a knife in his possession. He was taken into custody and his bond was set at $1 million.

ValleyCentral spoke with Starr County First Assistant District Attorney Abel Villarreal Jr., who prosecuted the case.

"Our office maintained communication with the victim's families, and today we were able to finalize the plea terms," Villarreal said.

Villalon will be sentenced on June 12, in order for family members to have time to give their victim impact statements. Villarreal said that the motive for the killing remains undetermined.