In a somber incident on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 6:50 pm, local authorities responded to a 911 call reporting an ATV accident near Edinburg Lake. The incident occurred at the 6400 block of Rio Grande Care in rural Edinburg.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered an overturned ATV Razor partially submerged in a canal with two juvenile females trapped inside. The deputies, along with emergency personnel, worked swiftly to extricate the victims from the water and initiated life-saving measures.

The injured juveniles were transported to a local hospital by a Good Samaritan who had received their distress call. Unfortunately, despite medical efforts, both females were later pronounced dead at the hospital. The Justice of the Peace ordered autopsies for the deceased.

Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) Investigators and Crime Scene Specialists were deployed to the location to conduct the investigation. Surviving witnesses revealed that the driver of the ATV, now deceased, lost control of the vehicle, leading to the tragic accident in the vicinity of Edinburg Lake.

In the wake of this unfortunate incident, the HCSO urges the community to exercise caution when operating ATVs.

The investigation is ongoing.

If you have any information relating to the incident, please contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at 956-383-8114 or the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 956-668-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can be submitted through the “P3 TIPS” smartphone application.

UPDATE: The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the two females involved in the tragic ATV accident as 18-year-old, Jaidy Alcala and 17-year-old, Leila Elizabeth Arias. Our prayers go out to the families and communities as they endure this hardship.