Texas businessman, Gov Abbott appointee shot dead in border city: police

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A prominent businessman and appointee of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was shot and killed at a business in McAllen, a border city in the Rio Grande Valley, over the weekend, authorities said.

McAllen police identified the victim as Eddy Betancourt, 61, of Mission, Texas.

Officers responded Saturday afternoon to the 800 block of North Ware Road after a 911 call reported a man on the floor who was possibly shot and not breathing. Betancourt was found unresponsive, with no pulse, and appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, police said.

His death is being investigated as a homicide, police said.

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Police on Sunday identified Reynaldo Mata-Rios, 60, as a suspect in the shooting.

A warrant charging Mata-Rios with murder, a first-degree felony, was issued by the McAllen Municipal Court.

Authorities said Mata-Rios indicated he intended to surrender but had not done so as of Sunday afternoon. Mata-Rios is 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 195 pounds, according to police. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

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In 2020, Abbott appointed Betancourt to the Texas Facilities Commission, which oversees construction, maintenance and leasing of state-owned buildings. He was reappointed in 2023 to a term set to expire in 2029, according to the governor’s office.

Along with serving in state government, Betancourt was president of R&B General Construction Co. Inc., co-owner and president of National Tire and Wheel LLC, and a general retail partner manager for E2H Investment. He also worked on the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board of Directors and was a member of the McAllen Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.