Migrant man arrested and charged with capital murder in death of a migrant woman in El Paso. The Venezuelan man was arrested in relation to the death of a woman found deceased in a motel in Downtown El Paso. The El Paso Police stated that both the victim and the suspect are migrants, and the suspect allegedly murdered the woman and stole her money.
On Sunday, May 21, around 1:30 p.m., the El Paso Police and fire personnel responded to a welfare check at the Budget Lodge Motel on N. Mesa Street. The woman, identified as 40-year-old Carmen Unilda Navas Zuniga from Honduras, was discovered unresponsive by motel staff. Emergency crews confirmed her death at the scene.
Crimes Against Persons detectives and investigators from the Criminalistics Unit were called to the motel to investigate the suspicious nature of the death. However, the cause of death has not been disclosed by officials at this time.
During the investigation, it was revealed that other individuals had stayed in the same motel room, and one person of interest was identified as 34-year-old Eddy Jose Ortega Alvarado. Authorities discovered that Ortega had left El Paso and was located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
On Friday, June 2, El Paso detectives met with Ortega in Fort Worth, where they found probable cause to believe that he had murdered Navas and stolen her money. It was revealed that both Navas and Ortega had crossed into the United States and were processed by Border Patrol on May 20.
Ortega was taken into custody and booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a capital murder warrant with a bond set at $2.5 million. El Paso Police officials expect Ortega to be extradited back to El Paso in the coming week.
To preserve the integrity of the case and future prosecution, the El Paso Police have decided not to release further details regarding the investigation. They emphasize that it remains an active investigation.
A spokesperson from Border Patrol stated that migrants with a criminal history or an active warrant are not released after processing and are usually returned to their home countries. In Ortega’s case, his name was run through the system, but no prior criminal activity was found. However, officials acknowledge that they may not have access to the complete criminal history of individuals from other countries.
Border agents highlighted the increasing number of encounters with migrants, including some who may not have a criminal history but still engage in unlawful activities.
This incident marks the seventh homicide within the city limits of El Paso this year. Source.
