A South Texas police chief committed suicide in his patrol car Thursday night, the Hidalgo County Sheriff said on Friday. .
La Joya’s top cop, Jose Del Angel, died from one self-inflicted gunshot wound, an autopsy determined.
“Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Investigators will continue to investigate and are awaiting analysis on evidence submitted that was gathered at the crime scene,” police said in a written statement. “At this stage of the investigation there is no evidence to indicate that a second party or group were responsible for the death of Chief Del Angel.”
A colleague of the 44-year-old chief said earlier in the day that he believed Del Angel had been having personal problems at home.
Others had speculated earlier in the day that the department’s tough stance against drug smugglers could have led to foul play. Sources near the Texas-Mexico border told FoxNews.com that local city officials in La Joya had received threats relating to the police department’s release of web-cam footage catching drug smugglers in action.
Del Angel worked in La Joya for 17 years, starting as a dispatcher and rising to police chief in 2008.
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