A Texas police officer allegedly killed three people and critically wounded his ex-partner during a suspected custody battle in Mexico before he was caught trying to flee into the US with his toddler son.
Chad Eberle, a reserve officer for the Santa Anna Police Department, is accused of opening fire at a home in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, after he was denied custody of his 3-year-old son on Aug. 4, Mexican newspaper La Razón reported.
Two 44-year-olds, a female and a male, and a 22-year-old female were killed in the shooting, according to the outlet. Officials did not reveal the relationship the victims had with Eberle
Eberle, 35, allegedly shot his son’s 26-year-old mother in the head during the massacre, critically wounding her before fleeing the home with the kid, according to the outlet.
Mexican authorities captured Eberle at the International Bridge II in Piedras Negras, Mexico, when he was trying to cross back into Eagle Pass, Texas while driving his Chevrolet Silverado truck.
The Coahuila State Attorney General’s office issued an arrest warrant for Eberle for his probable responsibility in the crimes of femicide and aggravated homicide, officials said Wednesday.
Mexican authorities, who identified the suspected killer as Chad “N,” transported Eberle back to Saltillo, a city roughly 55 miles southwest of Monterrey, and booked him into the Saltillo Men’s Penitentiary Center Thursday night.
His son was also brought back to Saltillo, where he is in the custody of the Office of the Attorney for Children, Girls and the Family.
“The protection of children is a priority, therefore the child has been accompanied from the beginning and will be transferred in the company of said Institution and a family member to this capital city of Saltillo,” officials said.
Eberle, who previously served in the US Army, has held positions with several police departments.
He is a former deputy constable with the Bexar County Constable Precinct 2, a position he held from 2019 to 2020, and had stints with the Bangs, Lockney, Northside ISD and Somerset Police Departments, according to KTXS.
At the time of his arrest, Eberle was a volunteer reserve officer with the Santa Anna Police Department, having been hired in November 2025 and working 1 weekend shift a month.
“The City of Santa Anna has been made aware of a situation out of Mexico concerning one of our Reserve Officers, Chad Eberle, that was on a personal leave of absence until December,” the city said in a statement obtained by local paper Coleman Today.
“Due to the ongoing investigation, no other public comment will be made,” the statement said.
