Posted on 06/02/2005 8:29:31 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Wife accused in murder plot Man dies in shooting; alleged hitmen arrested
By CELINA ALVARADO LAREDO MORNING TIMES
In less than 24 hours, Laredo Police arrested the alleged gunman purportedly connected to the kidnapping and shooting death of a Laredo man Wednesday. Authorities subsequently uncovered an alleged kidnapping and murder plot that led to two more arrests in connection to the same crime.
Police suspect the victim's wife took a direct role in her husband's killing.
The victim, identified as 28-year-old Alberto Espinoza Castaneda, was found dead behind the wheel of his white 1986 Isuzu pickup truck Wednesday at the 12400 block of Mines Road, just after 2:30 a.m.
"He was bleeding from several gunshot wounds to his chest and face," said Juan Rivera, a police spokesman.
But authorities had little to go by.
Justice of the Peace Oscar Martinez ordered an autopsy from the Bexar County Forensic center in San Antonio and the victim's vehicle was picked up for evidence processing.
Laredo Police Crimes Against Persons Detectives interviewed several witnesses Wednesday, including a passerby who reported seeing a confrontation with several subjects involved.
Questioning ultimately led authorities to the victim's wife, 22-year-old Ruby Guerra, who was arrested just a few hours after her husband's body was found.
Guerra was charged with aggravated kidnapping, a felony 1. Authorities said further charges are pending for her direct involvement in the kidnapping and murder plot.
Investigations further led detectives to the alleged gunman and one other suspect.
Timothy Ricardo Pedraza, 24, was arrested and charged with murder, a felony 1; engaging in organized criminal activity, a felony 1; and tampering with physical evidence, a felony 3.
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, 24, was also arrested and charged with aggravated assault, a felony 2; engaging in organized criminal activity, a felony 1; and tampering with physical evidence, a felony 3.
Both men were taken into custody Wednesday at the 100 block of Alicante around 6 p.m.
Authorities said the investigation continues, pending further arrests.
Castaneda's case marks the tenth recorded homicide of the year.
In 2003, Crimes Against Persons detectives investigated a record 29 homicides.
In 2004, the number dropped to 15.
Now with 10 recorded homicide related deaths, Laredo Police fear there may be a 2003 repeat.
"Murders are unpredictable. There is no way to gage how many murders we are going to have," Rivera said.
Rivera further dismissed any claims of a possible connection between Wednesday's incident and the recent kidnapping/homicide related crime wave in Nuevo Laredo.
"We have no evidence to show any of the cases in Laredo are related to the crimes in Nuevo Laredo. The problems they have across [the border] are nowhere near what is going on here," he said.
(Celina Alvarado can be reached at 728-2566 or by email at celina@lmtonline.com.)
06/02/05
BTTT
That sounds sooooo bizarre. Crimes Against Persons Detective. So are there Crimes Against Animals Detectives, Crimes Against Street Signs Detectives, Crimes Against Traffic Detectives. What happened to plain old Detectives who investigated Crimes?
Let's see...he drives a 1986 Isuzu....
Well, I drive (among others) a 1984 Chevy Caprice, and I have insurance.
bump / ping!
Either that or Mr. Castenda might have family with money that would pay a ransom. Think "Fargo" in Spanish.
Today's news notes that the deceased had been married to the Guerra woman for just six weeks. The woman has a child by one of the accused killers, Pedraza. The mother-in-law says that the killer was so jealous of his child's mother's happiness at wedded bliss that he could not stand it and killed him. The mother-in-law of course says the young bride is not involved in the killing in any way.
Wow. What a soap-opera.
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