By Karen Gleason
A 23-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman remain in custody after they were charged with murder in the March 7 shooting death of Del Rioan Sandra De La Cruz.
Clarissa Guerra and Ernesto Alejandro Olguin were each charged with murder, a first-degree felony, after De La Cruz’s body was discovered lying facedown on a gravel road at the edge of the San Felipe Cemetery about 9 a.m. on March 7.
Olguin also has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a third-degree felony, in connection with the case, court documents show.
According to a complaint filed Wednesday in the district clerk’s office, Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Gina Garcia reported she was advised by sheriff’s office communications “about a deceased female at the San Felipe Cemetery” on the morning of March 7.
Garcia wrote she proceeded to the murder scene and began “to note observations and collect evidence at the scene.”
Garcia said an autopsy later revealed De La Cruz “was killed from gunshot wounds.”
Garcia in the complaint wrote she “arrested Olguin on a related offense, in which Olguin disposed of the vehicle driven by Sandra De La Cruz.”
Garcia said she advised Olguin of his rights, and he agreed to speak to her.
“Olguin confessed that on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at approximately 0700 hours (7 a.m.), he learned from Clarissa Guerra that there was a plan to kill (De La Cruz),” Garcia wrote in her complaint.
“Olguin confessed to putting on gloves and driving De La Cruz’s car, a Chevrolet Malibu, . . . De La Cruz and Guerra to the San Felipe Cemetery. Olguin stated Guerra and De La Cruz exited the vehicle and stood at the rear of the vehicle. Olguin stated Guerra proceeded to shoot her (De La Cruz) multiple times with a revolver,” Garcia wrote.
The investigator wrote Olguin told her “he and Guerra fled the scene, leaving De La Cruz’s body behind.”
Garcia also wrote about other physical evidence recovered by investigators.
“The projectile that was located at the scene and the one recovered from (De La Cruz’s) body are similar to what Olguin described during his confession. The shell casings recovered from the trailer where Olguin was staying are similar to the projectiles located at the scene,” Garcia wrote in her complaint.
The complaint charging Guerra with murder is the same as the one filed in Olguin’s case.
The complaint filed against Olguin in the tampering case notes De La Cruz’s Chevy Malibu was found following the murder outside a residence in the 200 block of Cordelia Street and recovered by the sheriff’s office.
In the tampering complaint, Garcia wrote, “The cooperating individual stated that he received a phone call from his parents stating the police were at their residence questioning about the Malibu left by Olguin. At approximately 5 p.m., Olguin called the cooperating individual. The cooperating individual told Olguin, ‘What did you get me into?’ Olguin told him to lose his number and hung up.”
Garcia wrote Olguin later “confessed to breaking the cell phone that was used to call the cooperating individual,” and after he broke the cell phone, “he disposed of it.”
Olguin was charged with tampering in connection with the breaking and disposal of the phone.
The court paperwork shows Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Antonio Faz III set $750,000 bonds for both Olguin and Guerra in the murder cases against them. Faz also set a $25,000 bond for Olguin in the tampering case.
Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said Thursday Olguin and Guerra remain in custody.
