Local man married to 2 women arrested for BIGAMY by Sheriff Deputies

El Paso County Sheriff's Office

3850 Justice Dr. El Paso, Texas 79938

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / Public Information Officer

Direct: (915) 538-2223

Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)

EMAIL: jtovar@epcounty.com

Release Date & Time: Monday, June 24, 2008 9:00 PM

WHO: El Paso County Sheriff's Office

WHAT: Local man married to 2 women arrested for Bigamy

WHERE: 700 block of El Parque, El Paso County, Texas

WHEN: Monday, June 24, 2008 at 4:52 PM

WHY: Arrest Made

INFORMATION:

On June 10, 2008, Sheriff Deputies received a complaint from a local female victim claiming that she discovered that her husband who she had not heard of in over a year was married to another local woman. The victim told Sheriff's Investigators that on or about November 2001 she met & started dating Luis Enrique Juarez. The victim claimed soon after, Juarez moved into her apartment & they formally became married in November 2004 while on vacation in Florida (Miami-Dade County, Florida). The victim stated they lived in Texas but wanted to get married while in Florida. The victim claimed the couple returned to Texas and continued to live as husband and wife until around March 2006. The victim stated they soon separated and Juarez agreed to move out of their home. The victim stated she repeatedly asked Juarez for a divorce and he would tell her that he was not paying for a divorce.

In July 2007, Juarez again contacted the victim by phone and explained that he was at the El Paso County Court House and there was no record of their marriage to each other. The victim again insisted they get a formal divorce. The victim claimed Juarez told her that since a record of their marriage was kept on file in Florida, Texas had no way of knowing he and the victim were married. The victim stated she and Juarez had not spoken since that conversation on the phone. In May 2008, the victim received credit statements which had incurred regarding her & Juarez. The victim again began searching for Juarez to contact him about credit issues and again request a divorce.

The victim hired an attorney and who was able to locate copies of 2 different marriage certificates showing Juarez currently being married to 2 local women. The 1st certificate (Florida) showed Juarez & the victim being married since November 2004 & the 2nd marriage certificate showing Juarez & his 2nd current wife being married since last August 2007. The victim filed charges against Juarez for Bigamy.

Luis Enrique Juarez (37) of the 14000 block of Tierra Bronce was arrested & charged with BIGAMY. He remains at the El Paso County Detention Facility.

 Luis Enrique Juarez (37)

Charge: BIGAMY- $7,500 Bond

According to Texas Penal Code:

TITLE 6. CHAPTER 25. OFFENSES AGAINST THE FAMILY

§ 25.01. BIGAMY.

(a) An individual commits an offense if:

(1) he is legally married and he:

(A) purports to marry or does marry a person other than his spouse in this state, or any other state or foreign country, under circumstances that would, but for the actor's prior marriage, constitute a marriage; or (B) lives with a person other than his spouse in this state under the appearance of being married; or

(2) he knows that a married person other than his spouse is married and he:

(A) purports to marry or does marry that person in this state, or any other state or foreign country, under circumstances that would, but for the person's prior marriage, constitute a marriage; or (B) lives with that person in this state under the appearance of being married. (b) For purposes of this section, "under the appearance of being married" means holding out that the parties are married with cohabitation and an intent to be married by either party. (c) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(1) that the actor reasonably believed at the time of the commission of the offense that the actor and the person whom the actor married or purported to marry or with whom the actor lived under the appearance of being married were legally eligible to be married because the actor's prior marriage was void or had been dissolved by death, divorce, or annulment. For purposes of this subsection, an actor's belief is reasonable if the belief is substantiated by a certified copy of a death certificate or other signed document issued by a court. (d) For the purposes of this section, the lawful wife or husband of the actor may testify both for or against the actor concerning proof of the original marriage.

(e) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree