Suspect charged for armed kidnapping out of Donna

DONNA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man accused of abducting a person at gunpoint in June has been formally charged.

Michael Contreras, 27, was charged Friday with aggravated kidnapping following an incident on June 7 in rural Donna.

Contreras allegedly abducted a girl at gunpoint using a black SUV and sexually assaulted her during the ordeal.

He was identified through the Hidalgo County sex offender database and confirmed by the victim in a photo lineup.

Contreras was already in custody at the Hidalgo County Detention Center on a separate sexual assault charge from 2024. His bond for the aggravated kidnapping charge has been set at $500,000.

The investigation into the June 7 incident is ongoing, and authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information to come forward. Witnesses can contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office or submit anonymous tips through the Crime Stoppers Hotline or the "P3 TIPS" smartphone application.

The charges against Contreras highlight ongoing concerns about sexual violence in the community, and authorities continue to seek information that may aid their investigation.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KVEO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KVEO staff before being published.