A former Bexar County deputy constable is now in Mexican custody. Police say Chad Eberle, 35, shot and killed three people in Saltillo, Mexico. He also shot the mother of his 3-year-old son in the head. Mexican officers caught him hours later. He was trying to cross back into Texas with the boy.
Eberle worked for Bexar County Precinct 2 as a deputy constable from 2019 to 2020. He went on to work for several small Texas police departments. This case shows how fast a family fight can turn deadly. It also raises hard questions about a man who once wore a badge in South Texas.
Police say the shooting happened Tuesday, August 4, at a home in Saltillo, Coahuila. Saltillo sits south of Eagle Pass, Texas, across the border. Officials say the violence broke out during a fight over Eberle's son. Eberle did not have permission to take the boy that day, police say.
Three people died in the shooting, Mexican authorities say. They were Ana Laura de Leon Morin, 44, and Laura Mora, 23, the mother and sister of Eberle's former partner. Emanuel Montero Gomez, 44, also died. He was the partner of Ana Laura de Leon Morin. Eberle's former partner, 26-year-old Litzy Mora, was shot in the head. She is fighting to recover in a Mexican hospital.
Mexican prosecutors charged Eberle with femicide and qualified homicide. Femicide is a charge used when a woman is killed because of her gender. Qualified homicide is a serious murder charge under Mexican law. Both charges can carry decades in prison. Reports also point to a kidnapping-related charge tied to Eberle taking his son that day.
Mexican officers caught Eberle later that same Tuesday night. They stopped him at International Bridge II. That bridge connects Piedras Negras, Mexico, to Eagle Pass, Texas. He had his 3-year-old son with him. Police say he was trying to cross into the United States.
Coahuila's top prosecutor, Federico Fernandez, posted updates online about the arrest. He said officers worked to carry out an arrest warrant and to protect the child. The boy was found unharmed. He is now with Coahuila's child welfare agency in Saltillo. The agency says it will keep him safe while the case moves through Mexican courts.
Eberle worked for several small Texas police departments after leaving Bexar County. He worked for the Northside ISD Police Department and the Somerset Police Department. He also worked for the Lockney Police Department in West Texas. He is an Army veteran. Records show Eberle was under a U.S. restraining order at the time of the killings, tied to claims of domestic violence against Litzy Mora.
Most recently, Eberle served as a reserve officer for the Santa Anna Police Department. That is a small department north of San Antonio. Chief Ryan Tucker said the arrest came as "a shock." Eberle is now on unpaid leave while the department investigates. Tucker said he reported the arrest to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the state board that licenses police officers. He said the department is also in touch with Mexico's consulate.
Neither Bexar County nor the Precinct 2 Constable's office has released a statement about their former deputy. Bexar County has eight constable precincts. Each one is led by an elected constable with a small staff of deputy constables. They serve court papers and patrol neighborhoods. That daily contact with families is why Eberle's short time on that staff is drawing new scrutiny now.
Eberle remains in Mexican custody. It is not yet clear when he will face a judge in Coahuila or whether U.S. courts will play any role, since he is currently held only on Mexican charges. His son stays in the care of Mexican child welfare workers while the case unfolds. El Tejano will keep following this story as more details come out.
