The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office has dropped murder charges against a Port Arthur man citing insufficient evidence.

Raul Trejo, 41, was indicted in March 2018 for the Jan. 26, 2018, shooting death of Jonah Rivera, 38, of Sabine Pass.

Jimmy Hamm, assistant district attorney, said there was not enough evidence to convince a jury of guilt.
“Every prosecutor has the duty to do justice,” Hamm said. “And in Mr. Trejo’s example, we didn’t have enough corroborating evidence to prove he is guilty of a crime.”

Trejo has been released from jail but still faces charges for forgery for an offense that occurred Jan. 31, 2018.

Port Arthur police were called at approximately 2:30a.m. Jan. 26, 2018, to a home in the 7500 block of South Fourth Street in Sabine Pass for a home invasion involving three people.

During the crime, the victim reportedly approached the intruders to protect the occupants of the home and one of the intruders fired a single shot at Rivera, hitting him in the mouth.

The home is in a rural area of Sabine Pass, and witnesses brought Rivera to the fire station on South Gulfway Drive for immediate medical attention due to massive facial injuries.

When police arrived they saw Rivera bleeding from the face area. He was brought to a hospital, where he died.

Trejo was arrested five days later after an attempted forgery was committed at Chase Bank on Twin City Highway in Port Arthur involving a 73-year-old victim.

Rivera’s death was one of four unrelated deaths in the city committed in a two-day span Jan. 25-26, 2018. The city saw 14 homicides last year.

A court date on the forgery case is set for Dec. 9.