Sheriff: Man to face murder charge in blunt force trauma death of 78 year old

WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A person accused of assaulting and killing a 78-year-old man is behind bars.

Hidalgo County deputies responded to the assault in rural Weslaco on March 18.

Vidal Cruz, 78, reported to deputies he was assaulted by 29-year-old Cristian Puentes during a landlord-tenant dispute.

At the scene, Cruz showed visible facial injuries from the assault and reported feeling faint.

Witness statements detailed that Cruz was kicked in the head by a person in a yellow shirt.

Surveillance video obtained by deputies revealed that Puentes was a wearing a yellow shirt on the day of the assault.

Deputies located Puentes one day after the assault and charged him with injury to an elderly person.

Approximately 10 days after the assault, Cruz died from his injuries.

An autopsy indicated that Cruz's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, ruling the manner of death as a homicide.

Puentes' charge of injury to an elderly person is expected to upgrade to a murder charge.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday and remains in Hidalgo County Jail.

This is a developing story.