A Texas woman has been arrested and charged with a gruesome shooting and stabbing death in San Angelo. Police allege 31-year-old Audrey Troncoso shot, stabbed, and dismembered a man on Tuesday and later hid the body in a dumpster.
On Thursday, police arrested Mario Valdes-Troncoso, the suspect’s father, who stands accused of helping his daughter by tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He allegedly helped his daughter dispose of the body.
According to police investigators, on Wednesday, Audrey Troncoso was arrested after police began an investigation into a possible homicide that occurred in the 1400 block of Parker Street. Investigators immediately began looking into the incident and determined sufficient evidence existed to arrest and charge Troncoso with the murder of 34-year-old Roland Mathew Sheppard.
Police allege Audrey Troncoso shot Sheppard in the face and stabbed him numerous times, resulting in his death. Investigators learned that after the homicide occurred, Audrey Troncoso attempted to conceal and dispose of Sheppard’s remains.
Further investigation revealed the location of Sheppard’s remains, and a search ensued at the Republic Services landfill located at 3002 Old Ballinger Highway. Portions of Sheppard’s body, according to police, had been brought to the dump after being retrieved from a dumpster at a different location in the city.
Audrey Troncoso was booked into Tom Green County Jail and is being held on a $2 million bond. On Thursday afternoon, police say additional information led them to detain and later arrest Audrey Troncoso’s father, Mario Valdes-Troncoso. Investigators believe Troncoso helped his daughter dispose of the victim’s remains.
Valdez-Troncoso, according to the San Angelo police, will be booked into Tom Green County Jail on charges of Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence for his alleged involvement in the concealment and disposal of Sheppard’s remains.
During a Wednesday televised press conference, San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffith told reporters there was a known relationship between the victim and the suspect. Griffith says the murder of Sheppard is an unusual occurrence in San Angelo, where murders are relatively uncommon. Griffith told reporters that the investigation is complex and ongoing.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.