(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) has confirmed the arrest of a suspect after a victim was found shot and killed inside a truck following a three-car crash on Highway 24 late last month.
Just after 8 a.m. on Aug. 26, EPSO’s Regional Communications Center got a call about a three-vehicle crash near the intersection of Highway 24 and Blue Gill Drive, near Judge Orr Road in unicorporated El Paso County.
The caller reported that a passenger in one of the vehicles, a white pickup truck towing a black trailer, appeared to be seriously injured or deceased. Despite life-saving efforts, 29-year-old Noel Gutierrez-Cano, who sustained at least one gunshot wound, was pronounced dead on scene.
Law enforcement immediately began investigating to determine the identity and location of the driver of the truck, who ran from the scene after the crash.
Shortly after the incident on Highway 24 and following tips from Crimestoppers and video footage provided by the community, a traffic stop made by an EPSO deputy on Judge Orr Road for an illegal turn began to draw leads to the suspect behind Gutierrez-Cano’s death.
According to EPSO, during the traffic stop, the driver failed to show a driver’s license, vehicle registration, or insurance, prompting deputies to tow the car before the driver and a passenger walked away. “The passenger did not provide identifying information to deputies during the stop; however, body-worn camera footage provided a clear image of the individual,” wrote EPSO.
According to deputies, further investigation led them to identify Jose Cruz Diaz Vazquez, 26, as a person of interest in the case. EPSO discovered that Diaz Vazquez, who is suspected of being in the country illegally, was arrested in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on Sept. 3 for an unrelated outstanding warrant.
Detectives from EPSO, coordinating with the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police, traveled to the San Miguel County Detention Center to interview Diaz Vazquez on Sept. 4.
“Evidence and information obtained during the investigation led to Jose Cruz Diaz Vazquez being charged with Second-Degree Murder for the death of 29-year-old Noel Gutierrez-Cano,” EPSO wrote.
As of Sept. 17, Diaz Vazquez is being held at the Doña Anna County Jail in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on a fugitive from justice hold from San Miguel County, as well as a $500,000 cash-only bond in El Paso County.
EPSO is actively working to extradite Diaz Vazquez to El Paso County as soon as possible.
According to their official release about the arrest, EPSO worked alongside the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to properly identify Diaz Vazquez as the suspect.
“This investigation reflects the strength of partnerships across state and federal jurisdictions. I want to thank the Commerce City Police Department, San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, Doña Anna County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their support and coordination. Their assistance was crucial in successfully identifying and ultimately charging Jose Cruz Diaz Vazquez for this heinous crime. I am profoundly grateful to my detectives for their tireless work and dedication in seeking justice for victims in our community, including Mr. Gutierrez-Cano and his family. I also want to thank our vigilant community for providing valuable tips, and our partners at Crimestoppers, who make it possible for individuals to come forward and report crime anonymously in the Pikes Peak region. My mission as Sheriff remains clear—we will not tolerate crime, and we will hold offenders accountable, regardless of immigration status, if they choose to commit crimes in the Pikes Peak region.”
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal
