Homicide/Barricaded Subject Socorro, Texas
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
3850 Justice Rd., El Paso, Texas 79938
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Rick Glancey/Public Affairs Director
(915) 538-2217
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5290)
EMAIL: rglancey@epcounty.com
Release Date & Time: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:30 AM
WHO: El Paso County Sheriff's Office (Patrol, Criminal Investigation Division/C.I.D., Crisis Negotiation Team/C.N.T., and Special Weapons and Tactics/S.W.A.T.).
WHAT: Family Fight/Homicide (Holstein Rd.) and Barricaded Subject with Weapon (Melendez Dr.).
WHERE: Socorro, Texas.
WHEN: First call Monday, February 25, 2008 at 9:18 PM/ second call Monday, February 25, 2008 at 11:11 PM.
WHY: Under investigation.
FYI: Preliminary Report:
Socorro Police Department responds to family fight on Holstein Rd. and discovers a female with a possible gunshot wound. Ambulance dispatched to scene. Victim is non responsive. El Paso County Sheriff’s Office dispatched to scene reference “possible homicide.”
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office units arrive on scene at 10:35 PM. Investigation is underway. It is determined that a person of interest (male late teens) fled the scene in a pick up truck possibly armed and dangerous.
At 11:11 PM Socorro Police dispatched to a report of an unknown problem near the intersection of Melendez and Faena.
Neighbors report a commotion. Socorro Police arrive and detain several people in the vicinity. It is determined that a male subject possibly matching the description of the individual who fled the crime scene at Holstein may be barricaded in a mobile home on Melendez. It is also reported by neighbors “hearing what sounds like loud popping…maybe gun fire.” Neighbors say the loud popping sound (gunfire) is reported sometime before law enforcement arrives.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office CNT and SWAT dispatched to the “barricaded subject with weapon’ call at 11:59 PM. First SWAT unit arrives at 12:33 AM (2/26/08). Perimeter is established and the immediate evacuations of neighbors in harms way are moved to a safe location. Red Cross responds to assist in the displacement of approximately 8 people.
Negotiations begin in an attempt to communicate with the barricaded subject from 1:30 AM to 5:30 AM. A thermal imaging unit was utilized during the time of the numerous around the clock communication attempts. All attempts failed to establish any dialogue with the male subject inside the mobile home. The imaging device located at a long distance for protective measures detected what appears to be some type of movement in the mobile home. It was believed to be that of the subject inside the home.
At 5:30 AM several canisters of tear gas were utilized to force the subject out of the home. SWAT team members enter the home and find the male subject deceased. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. It appears the deceased had been dead for several hours. At no time did any law enforcement personnel discharge any weapons. The Medical Examiner was called to scene and a final autopsy report is pending. The report should help determine if the subject took his own life, what type of weapon was used and approximately how long he may have been dead before being discovered by law enforcement.
It was later determined some of the movement picked up by the imaging device may have been an animal in the mobile home and law enforcement personnel outside the perimeter of the mobile home.
The home of the “barricaded subject” belongs to a family member of the deceased male subject.
No names are being released. The relationship between the homicide victim (female) and the possible suicide victim (male) is not being released at this time. The Holstein Rd. homicide and possible suicide at Melendez Rd. may be related.
During the course of the barricaded subject case the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office made contact with officials from the Socorro Independent School District to alert them of the situation in case it may cause a problem with the opening of a nearby school.
An investigation into both incidents continues at this hour. No other information is going to be released until tomorrow.
All Public Affairs personnel have left for the day. Only available for major call outs for the remainder of the day!