Texas Ranger says all parts of investigation led to Campos

HARLINGEN, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — A retired Texas Ranger took the stand Tuesday in the murder trial for Ernesto Gonzales, a well known Valley attorney. The ranger said a goat farm near La Feria was the perfect place to commit a crime and not be caught.

Tuesday marks day 11 of the trial for Solomon Campos Jr. who is being charged with killing his uncle, Gonzales, also known as El Gallito.

Former Texas Ranger Raul Garza said he joined the Harlingen Police Department’s investigation in July of 2018, a year after Gonzales went missing.

He testified that all parts of his investigation were pointing towards Campos. When asked why Campos’ goat farm property was significant, Garza replied it was the perfect place to commit a crime without being caught.

“If I had wanted to commit a crime, that’d be a perfect place to commit a crime,” he said.

Garza told the jury evidence found near Gonzales’s body indicated he was kidnapped. Some of the evidence was black tape around the mouth area of El Gallito’s skull and a belly chain near El Gallito’s head. This led Garza to believe that the belly chain was wrapped around Gonzales’ neck while he was still alive.

Additionally, when Garza took the stand, the jury watched Garza’s initial interview with Campos where the retired Texas Ranger stated his statements had inconsistencies.

In that recording, Campos also admitted to following El Gallito for his aunt Mary Ann Villafana.

He said his main suspects were Sonny and Mary Ann Villafana. The jury was also shown Campos’ bank records that indicate Campos was following his uncle, according to Garza.

Villafana testified Monday and was questioned about her involvement in El Gallito’s disappearance.

As previously reported by ValleyCentral, on Tuesday, prosecutors asked Villafana if she elicited the help of anyone to follow her brother. She replied, “No sir.” When asked if she was responsible for El Gallito’s death, she also replied no.

Villafana previously told Harlingen Police that she asked Campos to follow El Gallito. On Monday, she testified that she was lying at that time and that she never asked Sonny to do that.

Garza said some major red flags from his interviews with Villafana were that she “never provided any helpful information” to find El Gallito and she was “giving reasons not to look for him.”

“I felt that [Campos and Villafana] were working in cahoots,” Garza said.

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