Karen Gleason
Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said today he believes the murder investigation into the death of a 27-year-old Del Rio woman will be more far-reaching than first thought.
Martinez told the 830 Times in a telephone interview earlier today, “We have arrested three individuals that are persons of interest on charges unrelated to this murder investigation.”
The 830 Times has submitted a formal request to the sheriff’s office for the names, booking photos and the criminal charges filed against the three individuals mentioned by Martinez as persons of interest. The 830 Times will print those names, photos and charges as soon as they are received.
Martinez also said the investigation is taking law enforcement officers in several different directions.
“It looks like we may be dealing with a drug-trafficking organization or a human-trafficking organization, but there’s a lot of pieces that still need to be filled in,” Martinez said.
The investigation began Sunday morning when a man caring for the graves of relatives discovered the body of Del Rioan Sandra De La Cruz lying facedown on a gravel road just inside the cemetery’s perimeter.
Martinez said today he had not been briefed on any findings made during an autopsy of De La Cruz’s body, but confirmed she “was shot multiple times.”
Martinez also said investigators have recovered physical evidence associated with De La Cruz, but declined to specify what that evidence is.
The sheriff also noted multiple law enforcement agencies are assisted his office with the ongoing investigation.
