Local News

Bull Rider Who Competed in S.A. Rodeo Found Dead at Mexican Border

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Professional bull rider Luis Alonso Villarreal Flores was found dead along a highway connecting the United States and Mexico near Ciénega de Flores. The 29-year-old was shot four times in the head.

My SA said that Flores was a PBR-ranked bull rider who once rode for Southwest Texas Junior College. In 2008, he finished 10th at the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association finals, and he once competed in San Antonio for the Professional Bull Riders’ minor-league tour. He was ranked 293rd in the nation when he died.

No information has been released regarding why anyone would murder Flores, but people on Facebook have suspicions that it relates back to drug cartels. My SA reported that “although reports suggested Flores had his finger cut off by his killers, photos on social media show he had been missing part of his middle finger since at least 2011,” so the speculation of drug cartel involvement must be questioned until more facts emerge.

Luis Alonso Villarreal Flores’s Facebook page is now full of condolences and people trying to provide comfort to his family and express their sorrow. It seems he positively impacted a lot of people’s lives, and hopefully more information will be uncovered soon.