REEVES COUNTY, TX — A 35-year-old man is in custody after authorities say he fatally shot another man during an altercation at a Pecos trucking yard on Sunday, May 18.
According to the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office, Salvador Cervantes-Ortiz, a mechanic originally from Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, has been arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder in connection to the death of Jose Marin-Ramos, 36, of Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico.
The shooting occurred at the Wild West Trucking yard located on County Road 401, where Cervantes-Ortiz had been living in a recreational vehicle. Deputies were dispatched to the site around 6 p.m. following reports of a man being shot.
“Upon arrival, deputies found the victim deceased from a single gunshot wound to the head,” said the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office. The scene was immediately secured, and investigators from the Reeves County Criminal Investigation Division (CID) were joined by the Texas Rangers and the Pecos Police Department in processing the scene and launching a joint investigation.
According to witness statements and the preliminary investigation, a group including Cervantes-Ortiz and Marin-Ramos had been drinking outside the RV when the incident occurred. At some point, Cervantes-Ortiz reportedly entered his RV, returned with a .380 caliber handgun, loaded a magazine, chambered a round, and pointed the weapon at Marin-Ramos before firing a single fatal shot.
Officials say the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting, Cervantes-Ortiz fled the area on foot but returned shortly afterward and turned himself in to authorities without incident. Witnesses and employees at the trucking yard assisted investigators in tracking his whereabouts.
Cervantes-Ortiz was booked into the Reeves County Jail, where he is currently being held on $1 million bond, set by Justice of the Peace Liberty Wofford. In addition to the murder charge, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer has also been placed on Cervantes-Ortiz.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident and confirmed that no gang affiliations or broader criminal elements are suspected in connection to the case.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office.