El Paso law enforcement authorities are searching for a man suspected of killing a woman at a home in the Upper East Side in 2022.
Rafael Sanchez, 40, was featured this week on Crime Stoppers of El Paso’s most-wanted fugitives list on a murder charge in the death of 51-year-old Marisela Veliz on July 26, 2022.
El Paso police spokeswoman Detective Judy Oviedo confirmed that Sanchez is wanted in connection with the Veliz homicide.
In July, Sanchez was named in the 119-page list of individuals with active criminal warrants publicized by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to urge them to surrender prior to a large-scale warrant roundup.
Woman found dead in El Paso home
On the afternoon of July 26, 2022, Veliz was found dead after she was reported missing and police went to check on her well-being at a home in the 2100 block of William Caples Street near eastern end of Montwood Drive.
The house is in a neighborhood where the streets are named after El Paso police chiefs and other law enforcement officers.
Veliz was described as “a hardworking, beautiful, loving woman” who was survived by three daughters and seven grandchildren, according to a GoFundMe fundraising page.
Police officials have not disclosed how Veliz died and how Sanchez was allegedly identified as a suspect in the homicide case being handled by the Crimes Against Persons Unit. It was not disclosed how long ago the warrant on the murder charge was issued.
Sanchez is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, about 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes and has a tattoo on the front of his neck, according to the Crime Stoppers Most Wanted fugitives list. His bond has been set at $1 million.
Anyone with information on Sanchez’s whereabouts may anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 915-566-8477 (TIPS) or leave a tip online at cselpaso.org.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police seek suspect in woman’s homicide at Upper East Side home in 2022
Reporting by Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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