A U.S. Navy veteran was brutally beaten and killed outside his own home in McAllen, Texas—while being carjacked by an illegal immigrant.

Jose Luis Oviedo, 56, served in the U.S. Navy for 15 years: from 1981 to 1996.

Oviedo was apparently home alone when he heard a noise from outside—where he found Andres Roberto Ortiz, 32, attempting to steal his car. Ortiz turned on Oviedo, severely beating the Navy veteran unconscious.

Several hours later, local police found Oviedo’s SUV abandoned in a ditch. Upon visiting his home to report the vehicle, they found him unconscious in the backyard.
Oviedo was rushed to the hospital, but never regained consciousness. After spending a month in a coma, he died last Friday.

Ortiz was taken into a custody ten days after the attack. Ortiz is a Honduran who is in the United States illegally—and had been deported multiple times by the U.S. government. (my bold added)

Ortiz was initially charged with aggravated assault and robbery. After Oviedo’s death, the county district attorney is seeking to upgrade his charges to capital murder. Oviedo’s son, Victor, 29, spoke briefly to the media about how his outlook had changed, after his father’s death at the hands of an illegal immigrant:

“I had no real opinion as far as the immigration stance goes, but now I believe that something like this could have been prevented had the right steps been taken,” he said.