Pharr brothers' hearing delayed, awaiting DNA in 2022 murder case

PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two Pharr brothers accused of killing their stepfather in 2022 were back in court on Monday, however, due to pending DNA evidence their hearing was reset.

Brothers Christian and Alejandro Treviño will be back in court on April 7 along with a third man, Juan Melendez, who was also charged with the brothers was also in court Monday.

Christian and Alejandro Treviño are charged in connection to the 2022 murder of their stepfather, 43-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla.

Christian, 19, is charged with capital murder by terroristic threat or other felony and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Alejandro, 21, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, records indicate.

As previously reported by ValleyCentral, in 2022, Quintanilla had a warrant out for his arrest for continuous sexual assault of a child, according to Pharr police. Police stated this continuous assault happened from 2014 to 2016 in a separate incident unrelated to the individuals involved in this murder case. The original assault was reported in May 2019.

On Jan. 20, 2022, Quintanilla’s body was found in an open field in McAllen after a young relative accused him of sexual assault.

When relatives, Alejandro and Christian, heard they confronted Quintanilla at the residence, which resulted in a physical fight, police said. Quintanilla then left the residence.

Christian ran after Quintanilla and found him outside an apartment complex down the road by Lyndon and Coyote in Pharr. There, a second assault took place.

_{Juan Eduardo Melendez (Hidalgo County Jail records)}

Police then say Alejandro and a driver of a red Dodge Charger, identified as 21-year-old Juan Eduardo Melendez, caught up and joined the assault toward Quintanilla. Melendez was a friend to Christian and Alejandro.

Melendez is charged with capital murder by terroristic threat or other felony and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Hidalgo County records.Later that day, the three teens dropped off Alejandro at his home. After dropping him off, Christian and Melendez saw Quintanilla walking along Veterans Road alone and injured.

The boys beat him for a third time, placed him in the bed of their truck and dropped him off in an open field off Mccoll and Whalen Road. Officials believe he was still alive when he was left at the location.

An investigation revealed Quintanilla was severely beaten with brass knuckles and that he suffered severe head trauma.