On the evening of December 29, 2025, in Laredo, Texas, a violent encounter cut short the life of 49-year-old Fernando Hinojosa. The incident, which marked the city's ninth homicide of the year, unfolded in the 4700 block of Primavera Lane. Responding to a report of a shooting at approximately 8:25 p.m., Laredo police officers arrived to find Hinojosa lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A suspect, identified as 35-year-old Noe Cantu Jr., was present when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody. Cantu informed the officers that he had shot Hinojosa with a handgun, which was subsequently recovered as evidence. Following a consultation with the Webb County District Attorney's Office, investigators determined they had sufficient evidence to charge Cantu.
Noe Cantu Jr. was arrested and booked into the Webb County Jail on a charge of murder, a first-degree felony. While an arrest has been made, authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive or the specific circumstances that led to the fatal shooting. The investigation into the death of Fernando Hinojosa remains ongoing.
