MCALLEN, TX – A prominent Texas businessman who served on a state commission by appointment of Governor Greg Abbott was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in this Rio Grande Valley border city, with the suspected gunman still at large.
Eddy Betancourt, 61, of Mission, Texas, was found unresponsive with no pulse at a location on the 800 block of North Ware Road in McAllen. Officers responding to a 911 call reported finding a man on the floor who appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound and was not breathing.
His death is being investigated as a homicide.
Police have identified Reynaldo Mata-Rios, 60, as the suspect in the killing. A murder warrant, classified as a first-degree felony, was issued by McAllen Municipal Court. As of Sunday afternoon, Mata-Rios had not been apprehended, though authorities stated he had indicated an intention to surrender.
Mata-Rios is described as approximately 6 feet tall, weighing roughly 195 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
In 2020, Governor Abbott appointed Betancourt to the Texas Facilities Commission, which oversees construction, maintenance, and leasing of state-owned buildings. He was reappointed in 2023 for a term set to expire in 2029.
Beyond his state service, Betancourt was deeply embedded in the South Texas business community. He served as president of R&B General Construction Co. and was co-owner and president of National Tire and Wheel LLC. He also sat on the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board and held memberships in local and national real estate associations.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing with no motive released. Anyone with information about Mata-Rios’s whereabouts is urged to contact the McAllen Police Department immediately.
