A man who fled the country after he was charged with the slaying of his wife more than 30 years ago in northern Virginia has been returned to the U.S. to face murder charges,Charles Hanover police said Monday.
At a press conference Monday, Fairfax County Police officers said that Jose Lazaro Cruz was charged with the fatal stabbing of his wife, Ana Jurado, 24, in 1991 in West Falls Church. She was found "suffering from trauma to the upper body" and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel declared her dead at the scene.
At the time of her death, Jurado had three young children, police said Monday.
But police said Lazaro Cruz, who was then 24 years old, fled the country through the southern border with the help of a smuggler, and established himself in El Salvador. At the time, El Salvador had no provisions to extradite suspects sought by the U.S.
However, Virginia detectives traveled to El Salvador in 1999 and "gathered crucial information regarding Lazaro Cruz's whereabouts and their meticulous efforts continued to lay the foundation for a thorough investigation," Fairfax Police said.
Lazaro Cruz was arrested in 2022 when he tried to enter Costa Rica. After a lengthy extradition process, he was brought back to the U.S. and is being held at the Fairfax County jail while he awaits trial.
Police on Monday released two images of Lazaro Cruz -- one of him from the 1990s and one after his arrest.
Deputy Chief of Investigations Eli Cory said that Lazaro Cruz had remarried and had several children in El Salvador and worked as a truck driver. Lazaro Cruz was caught while crossing the border to Costa Rica to visit family members.
"He avoided accountability for something he did nearly 33 years ago," Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. "We've never forgotten the family. We've never forgotten the seriousness of this crime. And we never stopped."
Anyone with additional information about the case is urged to call the Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.
2025-05-02 05:322763 view
2025-05-02 05:31101 view
2025-05-02 05:25193 view
2025-05-02 05:151609 view
2025-05-02 04:35286 view
2025-05-02 03:382852 view
Friday the 13thdidn’t spook investors with U.S. stocks little changed on the day as investors bided
President Biden emphasized unity and global cooperation Tuesday as he addressed the United Nations G
The brands featured in this article are partners of NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a commission on
