Sheppard brothers back in custody facing aggravated assault charges

Mike and Mark Sheppard are now facing aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges and are back in custody, according to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office.

A spokesperson for the FBI in El Paso said that the brothers turned themselves in on Tuesday evening. The brothers were first arrested Sept. 29 on manslaughter charges in the Sept. 27 shooting death of a migrant south of Sierra Blanca. The new charges likely stem from the attack on the woman in the group of migrants, who was shot in the stomach and is recovering at an El Paso hospital.

As of Thursday morning, the brothers were still in custody in Sierra Blanca, according to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office. Bond was set at $250,000 each for the aggravated assault charge, a deputy said.

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The Sheppard brothers had previously posted $250,000 each in bond on Monday and were released. Family members of Jesús Sepúlveda, the 22-year-old Mexican migrant killed last week, said the suspects should remain in jail while awaiting trial.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has not responded to a request for information about the new charges against the brothers. DPS and the FBI are leading the investigation. The El Paso County District Attorney's office declined to comment.

Additional reporting by Daniel Borunda.

Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.

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