Julio Cesar Soto Jr., 26, a Hispanic/Latino male, was found dead on the night of August 17, 2025, at a home along the 4500 block of Fe Drive in rural Edinburg, Texas. Deputies responding around 9:22 p.m. discovered him inside the residence with a fatal gunshot wound to the head; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later identified him publicly and confirmed the basic timeline of the response and discovery.
Investigators obtained video showing the moments before the shooting, with Soto and the alleged gunman sitting together and singing when the weapon was produced and fired. According to reports summarizing sheriff’s office statements and witness accounts, the shooter fled the scene in a red Corvette. He was located the next morning and taken into custody; officers also recovered the rifle believed to have been used, as well as another handgun.
The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Freddy Mireles of Edinburg. He was arrested and charged with murder and arraigned the next day; a judge set bond at $2.5 million. Records and local reporting indicate he was booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center pending further court proceedings.
Additional reporting noted that deputies encountered multiple witnesses when they arrived and that Soto, described as a Mexican national living in the U.S. on a visa, had been socializing with the accused earlier that evening. In the days that followed, local outlets reflected a community in mourning as family and friends gathered to grieve and call for justice.
