Suspected gunman arrested in pastor's wife slaying

Published November 17, 2014

Authorities in South Texas have arrested a man whom they suspect a pastor hired to kill his wife.

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio says 37-year-old Daniel Lopez will be arraigned Tuesday on a capital murder charge.

Lopez was arrested Monday in Los Fresnos, 16 miles north of Brownsville. Authorities suspect he fatally shot elementary school teacher Sonia Perez.

Jail records do not list an attorney for Lopez.

Court documents show investigators believe 40-year-old Julio Cesar Perez paid $1,300 to two men, including Lopez, to kill his 39-year-old wife, whose body was discovered in her vehicle last Thursday.

Perez leads a small-town church called Manantial de Vida in nearby San Benito.

Police arrested the pastor and church member 20-year-old Gabriel Apolinar Escalante at the weekend and charged them with capital murder.

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