Humberto Garza

Case information

• Name: Humberto Garza
• Also known as: “Gallo”
• TDCJ number: 999495
• Date of birth: 07/24/1974
• Age at offense: 28
• Received: 03/31/2005
• Age when received: 30
• Education level: 03/31/2005
• County: Hidalgo
• Race: Hispanic
• Gender: Male
• Hair color: Black
• Eye color: Brown
• Height: 5' 04"
• Weight: 144
• Native: Native County
• Native state: Native State
• Prior occupation: Laborer (Hidalgo, Texas)
• Current characteristics: Tri-City Bombers gang captain; Drugs robbery
• Prior prison record: TDCJ# 627754 on an 18 year sentence from Hidalgo County for 1 count each of Attempted Murder with a Deadly Weapon and Burglary of a Habitation.

Timeline

• 07/24/1974 — Humberto Garza was born.
• 01/05/2003 — Garza and 10 co-defendants entered two private residences in Hidalgo County, Texas, and fatally shot six Hispanic males.
• 01/05/2003 — A jury later found Garza guilty on 1 count murder and one count of capital murder.
• 03/31/2005 — Garza was sentenced to death.
• 08/16/2005 — The Monitor reported details of the sentencing and the background presented at trial.

Background

Humberto “Gallo” Garza III hoped that the religion he found during the 2 years he spent waiting for his capital murder trial would save his life.

Garza entered the Texas Youth Commission at age 16. In July 1991, he was arrested 4 days before his 17th birthday for stabbing a man. He was released 3 months later on bond. He pleaded guilty to the stabbing, claiming it was in self-defense against a high school rival who started a fight with him.

He was in prison from 1992 until 2002 on those charges as well as with burglarizing a house. In April 2002, Garza was released from prison but was to be on parole until 2010.

Jesusa Farias, Garza’s parole officer, testified that Garza performed well during his parole up until his arrest. She said he had found a job, started alcohol and substance abuse treatment, and had begun paying restitution. She testified that Garza identified anger problems, a need for companionship and associations with negative influences, but never mentioned being a member of a gang or asked for help getting out.

Hidalgo County Detention Center Lt. Jack Alaniz testified that Garza did not identify himself as a gang member and was not classified as a gang member in the detention center. Alaniz said Garza frequently participated in Bible studies and prayed with prison ministers.

The trial also included religious testimony. Garza studied the Bible often and began a correspondence course learning about scripture, said the jail’s rehabilitation counselor, Juan Parro. Baptist minister Eduardo Luna said he met with Garza often to discuss scripture and felt Garza’s religious interest was genuine. Luna said:

"I tend to pull away if I dont see a sincerity,"

Elodia Davila, who counseled Garza at the substance abuse program required for his parole, said that even before Garza’s arrest for the Edinburg murders, Garza had been attending church alone or with his mother.

During the sentencing hearing, Garza’s mother, Lydia, prayed for him outside the courtroom and was allowed to see him briefly before sentencing. Lydia Garza testified that she was married to his father, Humberto Garza Jr., for 15 years, most of which Garza’s father spent in prison. Lydia said her son did not have a good relationship with his father and did not see him very often:

"He was in prison. I was a single parent. He died in the hospice in a prison," "He wasnt around much for my son or for me."

Lydia testified that her son was “devastated” about his father’s death, which occurred a year before the Edinburg murders. She said her son went to prison at 16 and was 27 when he came out. She testified that she knew his friends before he was jailed and did not know him to be a member of any gang:

"Ive always had a good relationship with him,"

Under cross-examination, Lydia testified that she had tried to obtain counseling for her son when he was in trouble in high school. She said she allowed him to live with her when he was released from prison and helped him pay for half his payments on a pickup truck.

After her testimony, Lydia told Garza that she loved him as she exited the courtroom. Garza looked back with tears in his eyes as she left.

The offence

On 01/05/2003 in Hidalgo County, Texas, Garza and 10 co-defendants entered two private residences and fatally shot six Hispanic males.

The victims were identified as:

• brothers Jerry Hidalgo and Ray Hidalgo
• half brothers Juan Delgado Jr. and Juan Delgado III
• Ruben Castillo
• Jimmy Almendariz

Graciella Delgado’s son and stepson were killed in the murders.

Garza was charged with planning and coordinating a drug raid at 2915 E. Monte Cristo Rd. in Edinburg. Garza was said to have pleaded not guilty to charges that he planned to steal a large amount of marijuana thought to be in the house, called a group of gang members together, and drove them to the house.

Police said Garza waited in a vehicle nearby while masked men charged the home with assault weapons and shot each of the six men several times.

Garza was also previously sentenced in Hidalgo County for 1 count each of Attempted Murder with a Deadly Weapon and Burglary of a Habitation.

Investigation

The sentencing phase included the presentation of Garza’s history to show he remained a threat. Hidalgo County Assistant District Attorneys Murray Moore and Joseph Orendain outlined Garza’s criminal history.

Moore asked if Garza had heard the saying that “Jesus and Elvis live at the jail.” Alaniz responded:

"goes to jail, they start reading the Bible and get religious. Thats common."

Garza, according to closing arguments, helped police after his arrest and gave information that helped them arrest other people involved.

Trial

A 12-member jury took 3 hours to send the suspected Tri-City Bomber captain to death row for planning the murders of 6 men on Jan. 5, 2003.

One day earlier, the same jury found Garza guilty on 1 count murder and 1 count of capital murder on charges he planned and coordinated a drug raid at 2915 E. Monte Cristo Rd. in Edinburg.

Garza pleaded not guilty to the charges he planned and coordinated the drug raid.

Garza’s attorneys were Ralph Martinez and Keno Vasquez.

During the sentencing hearing, 370th state District Judge Noe Garza formally sentenced Garza to death row, explaining the sentence allowed for an automatic appeal, and that Garza would be appointed two new lawyers to help his case.

As deputies placed handcuffs on Garza, he hugged his attorneys, Ralph Martinez and Keno Vasquez, thanking them. Garza then faced family members and made statements to them:

"I want to tell my family I love them. I love them deeply and I didnt kill nobody," "Dont worry. I have faith in God that Ill be back and I will win this case."

He then smiled at his family members and told them not to worry and to "keep the faith." They answered that they loved him and that God would have the final say.

Martinez gave Garza’s mother a handful of letters Garza had written for his relatives.

The jury decided that Garza was a continual threat to society and had caused or intended the deaths of the six men. The jury did not find any mitigating circumstances to justify giving him a life sentence.

Prosecutors argued that Garza’s religious study made him a hypocrite because he knew right and wrong, yet he went along and planned the Monte Cristo raid. Orendain argued:

"Hes worse than the man who pulled the trigger. He executed the plan and he executed the 6 individuals,"

Orendain showed jurors pictures of the victims.

In his closing argument, Martinez asked the jury to give Garza a life sentence that would make him 71 years old before he would be eligible for parole. Martinez noted that during the decade Garza spent in prison, he had few behavior problems, and none after 1996. Martinez pointed out that Garza helped police after his arrest and gave them information that helped them arrest other people involved. Martinez said:

"Maybe the Bible study is a Jesus and Elvis con game, but maybe he feels the moral responsibility,"

Sentencing

Judge Noe Garza sentenced Humberto Garza to death row on 03/31/2005.

During sentencing, the attorneys argued Garza had a change of heart and gave his life to God while in prison. Garza spent most of the day with his head bowed and resting on his folded arms.

The sentencing also referenced that Garza was the second man to receive the death penalty in connection with the slayings. A jury in December sentenced Juan Raul Navarro Ramirez to die for the slayings.

The sentencing information also stated that another man charged in the murder, Robert Gene Garza, was already on death row for killing four Donna women in 2002. That slaying was described as connected to the local gang, the Tri-City Bombers.

The narrative stated that there were six other waiting separate capital murder trials in Hidalgo County jail and two others charged had not been caught.

Graciella Delgado attended most of the trial. She said:

"Im very content (with the verdict.) Thank God,"

People involved (named individuals)

Defendant and associates

• Humberto Garza (also known as “Gallo”): Tri-City Bombers gang captain; convicted on 1 count murder and 1 count capital murder; sentenced to death.
• Rudy Medrano: co-defendant.
• Robert Cantu: co-defendant.
• George Martinez: co-defendant.
• Robert Garcia: co-defendant.
• Juan Raul Ramirez: co-defendant; later referenced as sentenced to die for the slayings.
• Jeffrey Juarez: co-defendant.
• Marcial Bocanegra: co-defendant.
• Juan Cordova: co-defendant.
• Salvador Solis: co-defendant.
• Reymundo Sauceda: co-defendant.

Attorneys

• Ralph Martinez: Garza’s attorney.
• Keno Vasquez: Garza’s attorney.

Judge and prosecutors

• Noe Garza: 370th state District Judge.
• Murray Moore: Hidalgo County Assistant District Attorney.
• Joseph Orendain: Hidalgo County Assistant District Attorney.

Witnesses and correctional officials

• Jesusa Farias: parole officer.
• Jack Alaniz: Hidalgo County Detention Center Lt.
• Juan Parro: jail rehabilitation counselor.
• Eduardo Luna: Baptist minister.
• Elodia Davila: substance abuse program counselor.

Family members

• Lydia Garza: Garza’s mother.
• Humberto Garza Jr.: Garza’s father.
• Graciella Delgado: mother and/or relative of victims (her son and stepson were killed).

Other named individuals

• Jerry Hidalgo: victim.
• Ray Hidalgo: victim.
• Juan Delgado Jr.: victim.
• Juan Delgado III: victim.
• Ruben Castillo: victim.
• Jimmy Almendariz: victim.
• Juan Raul Navarro Ramirez: referenced as sentenced to die for the slayings.
• Robert Gene Garza: referenced as already on death row for killing four Donna women in 2002.

Other details

The case narrative described Garza as the “2nd man to receive the death penalty in connection with the slayings” and referenced other individuals and trials connected to the same slayings and to the Tri-City Bombers gang.

The sentencing narrative also described “masked men” who charged the home with assault weapons during the drug raid at 2915 E. Monte Cristo Rd. in Edinburg.