EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 25-year-old man was arrested for the murder of a 36-year-old man who was found dead earlier this month in a residence in far East El Paso.
Leopoldo Ortega, 25, was arrested with a charge of murder. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a set bond at $250,000, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPCSO).
As KTSM previously reported, shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, deputies were dispatched to a residence along the 12800 block of Barstow Avenue about a “deceased subject.”
When deputies arrived, they found 36-year-old Juan Oscar Becerra, who was confirmed dead. Evidence at the scene “indicated signs of foul play,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit was dispatched and assumed the investigation.
During the investigation, detectives identified Ortega as a suspect and a warrant was obtained for his arrest on a count of murder, EPCSO said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday, Oct. 16, Ortega was arrested along the 7400 block of Cimarron Market Avenue by the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. The task force was comprised of members from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Anthony Police Department, Texas Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“I want to thank our federal, state and local partners for their swift and professional work on this investigation,” El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said. “This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to keeping El Paso safe. If you commit a crime here, we will find you and hold you accountable.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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