E.P. Cop Killer Claims Deputy had been Harassing his Girlfriend

The man accused of shooting and killing an El Paso deputy took to the witness stand this week.

Facundo Chavez admitted that he shot County Sheriff’s Deputy Peter Herrera but claimed that he only did so based on what his girlfriend had told him: that the deputy had been “harassing” her.

Chavez also claimed that his girlfriend, Arlene Pina, took a handgun out of her purse and placed it on his lap during what he thought was a routine traffic stop.

Chavez’s lawyers said earlier in court that they believed the deputy and the Pina had some kind of pre-existing relationship but could not confirm if it was platonic, romantic or other.

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The girlfriend, Pina, is already serving a 15 year sentence for manslaughter.

Chavez testified that he and Pina had briefly broken up in 2019.

During that break-up, police were called out to Pina’s home because of a dispute between the two over a vehicle.

Later, Chavez claims, Pina told him that one of the deputies had been harassing her since that incident in 2019.

Chavez said that he was on probation for other crimes when the killing occurred and that he had already worked a plea deal to serve 2 years in prison for those previous crimes.

Chavez also said that on the day of the shooting he and Pina had spent the day in a hotel doing meth, Xanax, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

Chavez also claims that his memory of the killing wasn’t clear because he had been in and out of consciousness that night.