Suspects in San Juan stash house murder indicted

Samuel Uvalle Sr.

Jesus Grijalva

A Hidalgo County grand jury has indicted two men over the killing of a man who went missing in early May.

Samuel Uvalle Sr., 47, of Mission, and Jesus Grijalva, 43, of San Juan, are both charged with murder.

Grijalva is scheduled for arraignment next Tuesday while Samuel Uvalle Sr. is scheduled for arraignment in late September.

They are accused along with 35-year-old Roberto Salas — who is a fugitive — of murdering Juan Carlos Hernandez de Leon, who went missing on May 6.

Investigators searching for him developed information that on May 15 a person known as “Joker,” later identified as Grijalva, was using a tractor to bury something at 4610 E. Wisconsin Road in Edinburg, according to a probable cause affidavit.

After executing a search warrant there, authorities found the victim’s body.

Witnesses told investigators that Samuel Uvalle Sr. began arguing with Hernandez at a residence located at 1913 Morningset Road in San Juan on May 7 at around 4 a.m.

“Samuel Uvalle (Sr.) started to assault Juan Carlos with a hammer,” the affidavit stated. “Roberto Salas and Jesus Grijalva joined Samuel Uvalle (Sr.) on the assault. Jesus Grijalva Jr. utilized a hammer tool to assault Juan Carlos.”

The men then put him in a barrel, took him to the Edinburg property and buried him.

Samuel Uvalle Sr.’s son, Samuel Uvalle Jr., born in 2002, was also arrested at the San Juan stash house on federal human smuggling charges by the United States Marshal Service and sheriff’s deputies who were conducting surveillance during the homicide investigation.

Both father and son have since been indicted on federal smuggling charges, which they pleaded guilty to on July 8.

They are in federal custody and are scheduled for sentencing next Tuesday.

When authorities were conducting surveillance of the San Juan residence, they saw six people exit the home and walk to a nearby restaurant.

A Border Patrol agent contacted them and they admitted to being in the country illegally, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Three of the six people told investigators that Samuel Uvalle Sr. threatened them while they were at the residence and one person said at one point they heard someone being beaten.

Grijalva remains held in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a total of $1,220,000 in bonds.

Anyone with information on Salas’ whereabouts is asked to call the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at (956) 383-8114. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at (956) 668-8477. Anonymous tipsters can also submit information through the P3 TIPS smartphone application.

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