Police have arrested the man suspected of killing two people at a Texas Chick-fil-A and confirmed that he is in the U.S. illegally.
“We can confirm that the suspect was taken into custody early this morning,” a spokesperson for Irving Police Department told Fox News Digital on Thursday after the arrest of Oved Bernardo Mendoza Argueta.
The 37-year-old suspect is a citizen of El Salvador and has an “ICE hold” from the Immigration and Naturalization Service Dallas/Fort Worth, Fox News reported. He is being charged with capital murder of multiple persons in the shooting that occurred Wednesday off North MacArthur Boulevard in Irving, according to police.
(Video Credit: Fox4)
An arrest warrant identified Patricia Portillo as one of the victims and another man who was shot has not been identified. Mendoza Argueta is named in the document as the husband of a Chick-fil-A employee.
“The defendant is the spouse of an employee, who was a witness, and she positively identified the defendant with certainty,” the document said.
Police believed the shooting was “a targeted incident and that this was not a random act of violence.”
After the shooting, reportedly with a handgun, the suspect fled the scene and a manhunt was underway.
UPDATE: We have identified the suspect & need everyone to be on the lookout for OVED BERNARDO MENDOZA ARGUETA, 37 yo. Last seen driving a silver 1997 Honda 4-dr, TXLP#GVH6205. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND OR CONTACT THE SUSPECT, but call 911 immediately if you know his whereabouts pic.twitter.com/oA4ULNlbYX
— Irving Police Dept. (@IrvingPD) June 26, 2024
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Dallas “lodged an immigration detainer with the Irving Police Department on Mendoza,” an agency spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“Detainers are critical for ICE to be able to identify and ultimately remove criminal aliens who are currently in federal, state or local custody,” the ICE website reads.
“Criminal aliens are those convicted of crimes. ICE uses the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) to identify and arrest aliens charged with or convicted of crimes who are incarcerated in Federal, state, and local prisons and jails, as well as at-large criminal aliens who have avoided identification,” according to a 2020 DHS report.
The local Chick-fil-A restaurant issued a statement that confirmed the two victims were employees.
“Our hearts are broken by the tragedy that unfolded inside our restaurant Wednesday. We will miss our two Team Members dearly. Right now, our focus is on providing care for our Team and the victims’ families. I want to thank the Irving Police Department for their professionalism and compassion. We will continue working closely with them as they conduct their investigation,” the spokesperson wrote, according to NBC DFW.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family of Portillo, a single mom.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott denounced the shooting and posted on X: “Another illegal immigrant in Texas on his way to death row.”
Members of the community expressed shock and sadness.
“I was very, very shocked. It’s very scary… Everybody that works there is extremely nice. I probably will think twice, but it could be anywhere,” Kristy Westerman told NBC DFW.
“This is very, very sad news. This is a very nice and safe area,” said Mohammad Raga, a food delivery driver who has lived nearby for nearly a decade.“Every life is very important. Each and every life is very important from God.”
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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