Man flees the country to start a new family after slitting his wife’s throat: Police

A man who evaded justice for 30 years after murdering his wife in Virginia has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

60-year-old Jose L. Cruz, admitted to killing his 24-year-old wife, Ana Jurado, on April 30, 1991, during their divorce proceedings. Cruz, who believed Jurado was having an affair, attacked her in a fit of rage, slashing her throat with a knife. The crime occurred in Fairfax County, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced Cruz’s guilty plea on Friday, stating that Cruz now faces up to 40 years in prison for the crime.

“When Jose Larazo Cruz killed Ana Jurado, he left behind three young children and a devastated community,” Descano said. “It’s been over 30 years since that dark day, but Fairfax County has never forgotten her or her family, and we remain committed to the pursuit of justice for all victims of violent crimes.”

On the day of the murder, neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming, prompting a call to the authorities. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Jurado suffering from severe trauma to her upper body. Paramedics pronounced her dead on the scene.

Witnesses later informed detectives that they had seen a man matching Cruz’s description fleeing the area. An arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued almost immediately.

Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis emphasized that the case was not a typical cold case. “It was solved virtually right away. He was on the lam. He was on the run. He avoided accountability for something he did nearly 33 years ago,” Davis said during a press conference earlier this year.

After the murder, Cruz attempted to flee to Canada but was denied entry due to having fake identification. A Border Patrol agent also noticed a fresh cut on his hand. Cruz then made his way to Houston, where he was smuggled across the Mexican border and eventually traveled to El Salvador. There, he started a new life and even had several more children.

Detectives spent years searching for Cruz in El Salvador, but their efforts were hampered by the fact that El Salvador did not have an extradition agreement with the United States until 2000.

Despite these challenges, Cruz remained a fugitive until July 29, 2022, when he was arrested while trying to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua. After his arrest, the extradition process began, and Cruz was finally brought back to the United States, where he was booked into the Fairfax County Jail.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano reflected on the long journey to justice, saying, “This is a moment that has been 30-plus years in the making. And for 30-plus years a family has waited for answers, has waited for justice and finally we’re just at the beginning of that road.”

Deputy Chief of Investigations Eli Cory credited the work of the original detectives, stating, “They put together such a good case so many years ago it’s allowed us to bring him to justice today.”

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The plea brings some closure to a case that has haunted the Fairfax County community for decades, and Cruz now awaits sentencing for the crime that has had lasting repercussions on his family and community.