South Texas police chief found dead in vehicle

Chief's death results in homicide investigation.

LaJoya, TX — The Associated Press is reporting; the police chief in the South Texas town of La Joya has been found dead, and for now investigators are treating it as a homicide investigation.

A Hidalgo County sheriff's supervisor confirmed early Friday that Police Chief Jose Del Angel was found dead Thursday night inside his police vehicle, which was parked in a vacant lot.

Sheriff Lupe Trevino tells The Monitor newspaper that investigators believe Del Angel was shot in the chest. Trevino says the case is being treated as a homicide, though an autopsy would determine if the gunshots were self-inflicted or fired by someone else.

La Joya is about 18 miles west of McAllen.