The Brothers Ortiz – Episode 8: "Generations"

Podcast: The Brothers Ortiz
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Campside Media & iHeart Podcasts

Overview

This episode, titled "Generations," dives into the aftermath of Larry Ortiz's murder and traces the impact across multiple generations of the Ortiz family. The episode unpacks the fraught path to justice, the emotional toll on the family, and how past familial patterns shaped—and haunt—the present. Central to the story are the contrasting lives of brothers Gabe, a top law enforcement officer in Texas, and Larry, once a high-ranking member of the prison gang Puro Tango Blast. The episode tackles themes of generational struggles, loyalty, regret, and the elusive quest to break free from destructive cycles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gabe Ortiz’s Dilemma as Brother and Investigator

• Gabe, major in the Texas Department of Public Safety, struggles to balance professional protocol with personal grief after his brother Larry is murdered.
  • He stays out of the official investigation to avoid conflicts of interest, despite wanting to "track down the people who killed Larry."
    • [02:31] "Criminal investigations are supposed to be unbiased. Facts can’t be colored by emotion... Gabe is aware of all of this." – Narrator
• Gabe is torn between his training, which demands objectivity, and his raw emotional response as a brother.

2. Family Dynamics and the Burden of Legacy

• Larry’s son, Larry III (nicknamed "Third"), is uncooperative with the police after the murder, frustrating Gabe.
  • [04:22] "You need to fucking cooperate with law enforcement. That was your dad, but that was my brother. And if you know something... you need to cooperate. I said, do you understand me?" – Gabe Ortiz
• Third’s troubled path mirrors Larry’s past; the family notes the generational repetition:
  • [06:23] "He’s got to find his own way." – Antonio, Larry’s old friend
  • [07:02] "But then, at the same time, Third could always piggyback off of who Larry was, and those connections were still there for him..." – Cousin Vanessa

3. Unraveling the Night of the Murder

• Investigators use social media to reconstruct events—the key clue is the Instagram handle of a woman named Alina.
  • [09:04] "He did give investigators one very useful piece of information: the Instagram handle for a woman he'd met up with at the club... enough to get started, like finding the first corner of a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle." – Narrator
• Alina and her friend Ainsley, both 20, are identified as possible accomplices but not yet convicted.
• The group’s movements span bars and nightclubs, with Lucas and Third showing off money and attention, unknowingly making themselves "easy marks."
  • [10:33] "Lucas was flashing a whole bunch of money and buying all the girls drinks..." – Larissa

4. The Setup: Bait and Betrayal

• Alina’s texts show communication with "Big3E" and "Baby Ape," members of a "drug rip crew" planning the home invasion.
  • [15:40] "Alena had been texting with two other people, one who called himself Big3E and the other who went by Baby Ape... What investigators allege is that Elena, Ainsley, Baby Ape, Big3E, and two others were all working together as part of the same drug rip crew." – Narrator
  • [16:44] "This operation, if you can call it that, went wrong from the very beginning... Lucas and Third weren’t really worth robbing. They just like to front, you know." – Gabe Ortiz
• The robbery was haphazard and rushed; the plan formed only because other targets "fell apart," and Lucas and Third made themselves visible on social media and at clubs.
  • [19:12] "Basically getting yourself set up every time. Because there’s guys out here that literally prey on people like that, or they send girls who think they're interested in you, and they're really not." – Larissa
• The attack occurs with children and family present in the house, violating even the unspoken "code" within criminal circles.
  • [20:00] "Even in prison, there’s a code, you know, you don’t fuck with kids... Go into the house and you realize there’s kids. Just fucking leave." – Gabe Ortiz

5. Investigation and Arrest

• Authorities secure warrants for six suspects across four Texas counties; Gabe’s agency (DPS) is asked to help due to the scale.
  • [26:07] "All six were spread out in different counties. And they said, hey, Brazoria county doesn’t have the resources... Can DPS help?" – Gabe Ortiz
• Gabe is given the opportunity for personal closure: he is able to physically place his own handcuffs on Richard Horn, the man who shot his brother.
  • [30:21] "I look him in the eye and I say, 'You're the one that killed my brother.' ... 'You have no idea who you fucked with and you’re gonna fucking pay for what you did.' And I turned him around and put my handcuffs on him..." – Gabe Ortiz
  • [30:55] Gabe admits facing temptation for vengeance but walks away: "For a second, I just wanted to put a bullet in his head. But I’m like, then what?"
• The family tracks arrests with a group text, turning it into a bittersweet drinking game to honor Larry.
  • [31:53] "Every time I said, hey, we just arrested one, everybody’s taking a shot wherever they were." – Gabe Ortiz
  • [32:07] "That's actually kind of a nice tribute. Larry would have appreciated it." – Narrator

6. Generational Trauma and Reflection

• Larissa, Larry’s daughter, reflects on not understanding her father's choices.
  • [32:31] "Why my dad chose the life he chose over my Uncle Gabe's life, I don't know. Those are questions he’s not here to answer..." – Larissa
• The consequences ripple: Richard Horn (the shooter) pleads guilty and receives a 40-year sentence; other defendants face long sentences or are held in jail pending trial – some in the same jail where Larry and Third once were.
  • [33:13] "As of June 2025, [the four remaining defendants] had all pleaded not guilty... still being held in the Brazoria County Jail, the same jail where Larry spent so much time as a younger man, the same jail where his own son, Third, would be locked up on occasion." – Narrator
• The family is divided on justice, some wanting full trial and maximum penalty, others, like Gabe, caution against the emotional toll and risks of a jury trial:
  • [34:53] "No amount of time is going to bring Larry back... do you really want to put the entire family through all of this and not really knowing what the end result was going to be?" – Gabe Ortiz

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gabe’s Anguish & Professionalism
  • "You need to fucking cooperate with law enforcement. That was your dad, but that was my brother." – Gabe Ortiz [04:22]
  • "I look him in the eye and I say, 'You're the one that killed my brother.'" – Gabe Ortiz [30:21]
  • "For a second, I just wanted to put a bullet in his head. But I’m like, then what?" – Gabe Ortiz [30:55]
• Family Patterns and Cycles
  • "He’s got to find his own way." – Antonio [06:23]
  • "Why my dad chose the life he chose over my Uncle Gabe’s life, I don’t know..." – Larissa [32:31]
  • "That's actually kind of a nice tribute. Larry would have appreciated it." – Narrator [32:07]
• Tragedy and Irony
  • "Larry wasn’t killed because of his criminal lifestyle...Larry died protecting his family, which in his own way was the only thing that ever really mattered." – Narrator [35:49]
• Gabe on Justice
  • "No amount of time is going to bring Larry back...do you really want to put the entire family through all of this and not really knowing what the end result was going to be?" – Gabe Ortiz [34:53]

Important Timestamps

• [02:31] Narrator outlines Gabe’s professional quandary and introduction of the murder investigation.
• [04:22] Gabe confronts his nephew "Third" about cooperating.
• [06:23–07:35] Family and friends discuss Third’s troubled past and family dynamics.
• [09:04] Lucas’s Instagram handle proves a breakthrough for the investigation.
• [10:33–11:43] Larissa and others reveal the reckless, causal invitations that opened the door to violence.
• [15:40–20:33] Text messages outline how Alina and others coordinated the robbery; Gabe and others analyze the mistakes and lack of scruples by the "crew."
• [26:07–30:55] Gabe details the coordinated arrest of the suspects, including his personal confrontation with Richard Horn.
• [32:31–34:53] Larissa and Gabe reflect on generational trauma and the cost of justice.
• [35:49] Narrative summarization of the episode’s core, tragic irony.

Tone & Style

The episode blends procedural detail and raw, heartfelt reflection, often shifting between cool narration and intensely personal testimony. Gabe's candor about rage and restraint, Larissa’s familial grief, and the subtle wryness of the narrator all make this episode poignant and deeply human.

In Summary

"Generations" threads together threads of family legacy, criminal investigation, tragedy, and healing. It pulls no punches on the complexity of seeking justice when the victim—and family—have lived on both sides of the law, and it leaves listeners wrestling with the question: can cycles truly be broken, and what does justice really provide the living?