Left to right: Alejandro Trevino, Christian Trevino, Juan Eduardo Melendez Photo: (Hidalgo County Record)
Although I don't condone violence, sexually assaulting a child will send anyone over the edge. Two 18-year-old brothers Alejandro Trevino, Christian Trevino, and friend Juan Eduardo Melendez are sitting in jail after being accused of beating to death Gabriel Quintanilla, 42, and leaving him to die in a southern Texas field.
It all started when their 9-year-old sister made an outcry to her mother that Quintanilla had been inappropriately touching her. Christian and Alejandro are reportedly half-brothers, sharing a father, and are both half-brothers to the 9-year-old girl.
“When brothers (Alejandro) and Christian Trevino found out, they became enraged and confronted Gabriel Quintanilla at the residence. A physical fight ensued between the three and the victim Quintanilla left the location on foot.” Allegedly, they used brass knuckles during the beating.
“A third assault occurs and the victim is severely beaten. The victim who is still alive is placed in the bed of the truck and drove off and ended up in the McColl and Whalen Road (area) where the victim was dropped off in an open field and the suspects fled,” police say.
Quintanilla was later found by a farmer dead with severe blunt trauma to his head. Quintanilla was still alive when he was dropped in that field.
According to police, Quintanilla did have a arrest warrant out from 2019 for 'continuous sexual abuse of a child' and 'assault family violence' at the time of his death. He had allegedly sexually abused another underage girl between 2014 and 2016.
Alexandro is being held on a $1 million bond while his brother, Christian, is being held on a $1.5 million bond. Melendez, the friend, is being held on a $1,502,000 million bond.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to assist in legal fees and bonding the trio out of jail. They have also created a Facebook page to follow the case and support the teens.