Alleged Texas Gas Thief Charged With Murder in Blast

NEAR MCCOOK, Texas -- A man accused of stealing thousands of gallons of fuel was charged with murder Tuesday after one of his alleged accomplices died in an explosion last week.

Vidal Ochoa, 31, attended the Tuesday morning arraignment with severe burns to his arms and the right side of his face and neck.

Hidalgo County sheriff's investigators believe Ochoa, Raymundo Ortiz Sanchez, 34, and Mario Alberto Dominguez, 32, are responsible for more than a dozen natural gas and oil thefts near McCook, Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.

The group would go out at night and case storage bins that usually belonged to El Paso Exploration and Production Company, a national natural gas producer. The alleged ring of thieves would somehow measure the contents of the combustible and return later that same night with large plastic containers to siphon it.

Then, they would sell that to other individuals at $2 per gallon, Trevino said.

Early Friday morning, however, their plan backfired.

A large explosion was reported to La Joya Fire Department early Friday morning, shortly after midnight. A truck parked near a condensate storage container was engulfed in flames amid a large grassfire.

Condensate is often used to fuel lanterns and lighters, but can also be used to fuel vehicles, Trevino said. It's not recommended, however, as it will eventually destroy the vehicle's engine.

Firefighters found Dominguez's body near the vehicle once they extinguished the flames. He apparently opened the wrong valve, investigators said.

Sanchez and Ochoa walked away from the scene and went their separate ways. Sanchez's family transported him to a Reynosa hospital, where he remained in critical condition Tuesday. He suffered extensive burns to his body, Trevino said.

Sheriff's deputies eventually caught up with Ochoa through the course of their investigation, and at his home they seized four large plastic containers that the suspects apparently used to transport the fuel. One container was capable of carrying at least 330 gallons.

MURDER CHARGE

A judge charged Ochoa with three counts of theft Monday.

Trevino, however, was not satisfied with the charges because no one was being held responsible for Dominguez's death, he said. So he asked his officers to research existing laws that could apply.

Investigators conferred with the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office and found the Texas Natural Resource Code, which prohibits the tampering of oil and gas wells and associated equipment.

The offense is considered a third-degree felony, which made it possible for Dominguez's partners in crime to be held responsible for his death.

If someone dies during the commission of a felony, murder charges can be applied to those involved in said felony, Trevino said.

A judge charged Ochoa with the murder and tampering charges Tuesday morning and set his total bond at $1.25 million.

Investigators are now working with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service to determine the avenues available to extradite Sanchez to the United States. He faces the same charges Ochoa faced.

All three suspects are criminal illegal aliens, Trevino said. U.S. federal authorities have previously deported Sanchez and Ochoa, but they both have come back -- with Ochoa doing it several times.

Both also have extensive criminal records, Trevino added. Ochoa has been arrested at least 13 times and Sanchez seven.

They've now "graduated to murder," he said.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service