Recovery continues in wake of Belmont stabbing, shooting

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Two men remain in a San Antonio hospital with severe injuries while two others sit in the Gonzales County Jail after a violent confrontation at a home in Belmont Sunday night.

Gonzales County Chief Deputy Dennis Richter reported that just before 10 p.m. Sunday, July 22, deputies and Department of Public Safety troopers responded to a disturbance call on U.S. Highway 90A about 12 miles west of Gonzales, where they found Jose Jesus Gutierrez, 62, stabbed multiple times. They also found Jose Manuel Garcia, 46, with a gunshot wound.

In the midst of the investigation, two other men – Emmanuel Garcia Pacheco, 28, and Manuel Ruiz, 23 – were identified as persons of interest when they were believed to have been involved in the confrontation.

“These four men apparently got into a pretty bad argument, and it became a three-against-one,” Richter said. “From what our interrogation of the men provided, we were able to determine that Gutierrez was going to sleep when Garcia came into his room and started stabbing him. Gutierrez defended himself by shooting Garcia. The two other men were involved in the scuffle, and taking Garcia’s side.

“We don’t have official word on what part of the body Garcia was shot in, but we do know that both he and Gutierrez are still in San Antonio Medical Army Hospital.”

Richter said that Pacheco and Ruiz were taken into custody for questioning, and were then arrested and booked into Gonzales County Jail. Both Pacheco and Ruiz have been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with bonds of $100,000 each.

The stabbing and shooting victims remain hospitalized; their conditions unknown.

“We are not yet sure if these men are legal citizens or illegal aliens,” Richter said. “We do know that the victims live and work together on the ranch where the incident occurred.”

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