Three men in Hidalgo County, Texas were taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated assault and murder. Brothers Alejandro and Christian Trevino and their family friend Juan Eduardo Melendez are now facing charges in connection with the death of 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla.

According to a local news station, the Trevino brothers confronted Quintanilla — their stepfather — at his home after learning he sexually assaulted their nine-year-old sister at an RV park. A fight broke out, but the 42-year-old managed to escape on foot. As Christian chased him to an apartment complex, Trevino and Alejandro hopped in a car, caught up to them and beat Quintanilla once more.

The three men left to change cars and headed back to the complex. While en route, they discovered the man walking alone and assaulted him a third time. The Pharr Police Department says the men then placed Quintanilla — who had an arrest warrant for his continuous sexual abuse of a child — on the bed of the truck and dumped his body in an open field. He was later discovered dead with severe head trauma. Investigators determined he was beaten with brass knuckles.

In the wake of the incident, the Trevinos and Melendez were arrested and placed in Hildalgo County Jail. They were all charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Christian and Melendez face an additional capital murder charge, and the bond has been set at $500,000 for all suspects.

As news of the triple arrest made its way around the internet, people rallied in support of the three men, who they say were protecting the nine-year-old girl. A petition has since been launched on Change.org with hopes to get them released from jail. As of this story, less than 100 signatures are needed to meet their goal of 1,500 names.

An investigation into the case remains active.