Alena Nicole Pena Murillo and four other people were allegedly involved in murdering Larry Ortiz Jr. (Mugshot: Brazoria County Sheriff's Office)
A 20-year-old woman turned herself into Texas authorities, becoming the fifth murder suspect arrested in connection with a late-January robbery killed a father who was protecting his son, deputies announced over the weekend.
Alena Nicole Pena Murillo, 20, was charged with murder. So have co-defendants Anzley Tay Castillo, 20, Richard Horn Jr., 29, Guadalupe Navarro, 23, and Keerston Wilkerson, 21, whom authorities arrested throughout the Lone Star State from around the San Antonio area east to the Houston area.
Brazoria County investigators claim the defendants were all involved in Larry Ortiz Jr.'s death on Jan. 28. Deputies said the 45-year-old victim and his family were visiting the Treasure Island community in Freeport, Texas, for a quinceañera. Deputies received a 911 call regarding a shooting in the 300 block of Ocean Boulevard. Investigators found Ortiz Jr. dead upstairs in the beach house.
Investigators determined that his son, Larry Ortiz III, left home early the evening of Jan 27. He returned early Jan. 28 with friend Lucas Hernandez and "two unknown females," authorities said. Soon, three armed suspects forced their way into the home.
From authorities:
As all four were upstairs in a bedroom for a short time is when two unknown males and an unknown female forced their way in to the home while displaying firearms. The two male suspects confronted Ortiz III and Hernandez in the bedroom and demanded money while assaulting Ortiz III and Hernandez. Investigators believe that Larry Ortiz Jr. woke up from the commotion and began to defend Ortiz III and Hernandez from the suspects at which time Larry Ortiz Jr. was shot by one of the suspects. After the shooting the three suspects and the two females that arrived with Ortiz III and Hernandez left the scene before Deputies arrived.
Deputies identified the two unknown women as Murillo and Castillo, they said. They also named two of the three armed suspects as Horn and Navarro.
Anzley Tay Castillo and Richard Horn Jr. and three other people were allegedly involved in murdering Larry Ortiz Jr. (Mugshots: Brazoria County Sheriff's Office)
"Investigators later were able to confirm through cellular communications and data that Keerston Wilkerson was also directly involved in the planning to commit Aggravated Robbery which resulted in the death of Ortiz Jr," they wrote.
Guadalupe Navarro and Keerston Wilkerson were allegedly involved in murdering Larry Ortiz Jr. (Mugshots: Brazoria County Sheriff's Office)
Authorities cite surveillance footage from businesses as well as license plate reader images in tracking the suspects' vehicles. Before charging them with murder, authorities initially arrested Castillo for failure to report a felony involving death and Murillo with tampering with evidence. Both women were released on bond shortly after. Also before the murder case, investigators claimed to have found Wilkerson with Murillo. Authorities claimed to have discovered evidence in the case when executing a search warrant on a residence in the 800 block of Boenig Street in Seguin, Texas. Investigators obtained the arrest warrants for murder on Friday.
