A Rio Grande City man is facing a felony charge. Police say he punched his 65 year old wife in the face inside their own home. Officers were called out early Sunday, July 5, to check on an unresponsive man on the floor. What they found, according to the criminal complaint, was a domestic assault case with an elderly victim.

Jose Angel Lopez Sanchez, 54, is charged with Injury to an Elderly Individual, a third-degree felony under Texas law. That charge can mean 2 to 10 years in prison. He has not been convicted. Under the law, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Rio Grande City Police Officer Jesus Gonzalez wrote the sworn complaint. He said he was sent to the home around 12:30 a.m. on July 5. He found a man lying on the floor. A woman at the scene said her name was Maria Gonzalez. She told the officer the man was her husband, Lopez Sanchez.

According to the complaint, Maria Gonzalez said her husband came home after drinking alcohol all day. She opened the door for him. That is when, she said, he hit her. He struck the left side of her face with a closed fist. Then he hit her again, this time in the mouth, with his other fist.

The complaint says Lopez Sanchez then shoved her. The shove sent her into a nearby washing machine. The push also threw him off balance. He tripped and fell onto a chair, hitting his head. He appeared to faint, according to the complaint. That is why officers were first called out for an unresponsive man.

Maria Gonzalez asked someone nearby to call 911. A bystander named Javier Abundis made the call, the complaint says. Officer Gonzalez arrived soon after and took the report that led to the felony charge against Lopez Sanchez.

Texas law treats crimes against elderly victims as more serious than the same crime against a younger adult. Texas Penal Code 22.04(f) covers this crime. Hurting someone 65 or older on purpose is charged as Injury to an Elderly Individual. Prosecutors do not have to prove a family tie for the charge to apply. Here, the complaint says the victim is the defendant's own wife.

Domestic violence cases against older victims often go unreported in South Texas, advocates say. Victims may depend on the person who hurt them. Some fear being left alone. This case came to light only because a bystander called for help after Maria Gonzalez asked for it. Without that call, the complaint may never have been written.

El Tejano got this criminal complaint through a public records request to the Starr County Sheriff's Office. The document is a sworn statement from Officer Gonzalez, filed as part of the criminal case. Sworn complaints like this one are the first legal step in a felony case. They are not the final word on guilt.

The case is filed under Rio Grande City Police Department Case Number 26-07-00056. Court records show the charge as a third-degree felony. It is not yet clear from available records whether Lopez Sanchez has entered a plea. A third-degree felony conviction in Texas can also bring a fine. That fine can reach $10,000, on top of prison time.

Family violence charges in Starr County often move through the same court system as other felony cases. A judge will decide bond conditions and any protective orders tied to the case. Those records were not part of the complaint obtained by El Tejano.

El Tejano will update this story as the case moves through the Starr County court system. Court dates, plea decisions, and any protective order tied to the case will be added as records become public.

Anyone with information related to this case can contact the Rio Grande City Police Department. As with any criminal case, the charge against Lopez Sanchez is an accusation only. He is entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence under both state and federal law.