EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A Mexican judge has convicted a second suspect in the murder of a family of eight who were killed over an $80 debt.
The judge convicted Josue Alfonso M. R., a.k.a. “El Moreno,” for his role in the murders of members of the Castaneda-Romero family on Nov. 17, 2013, in the Morelos Zaragoza neighborhood of Juarez. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Friday.
“Prosecutors presented incriminating evidence during the trial and factually established the suspect’s participation in the deaths of eight members of that family,” the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office said in a statement late Monday.
A second suspect, Daniel Mendoza Hernandez, was previously sentenced to 220 years in prison for the killings. The victims included a 60-year-old woman, a 6-year-old boy, two 4-year-old girls and four adults. The victims were tied with duct tape and repeatedly stabbed on the chest and neck areas, according to the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office.
The assailants had arrived at the home to collect a debt over breeding fees for a pit bull they owned and became incensed when one of the victims refused to pay, according to Mexican news reports at the time.
Josue Alfonso M. R. and his father, Jose “N,” were arrested in Durango, Mexico, and extradited to the state of Chihuahua to face charges for the murders. It’s not clear what role the father played in the killings.
