Borderland Crimes

Family of Mom, Toddler Waits 30 Years for Murder Trial

Dante Santoni was brutally murdered, days after celebrating his third birthday. He, his mother Connie Villa, 28, along with Villa's longtime partner and Dante's father, Francisco Santoni, 59, were found stabbed to death on Aug. 11, 1994 in their east El Paso home.

But it wasn't until 2022 when El Paso police announced they had arrested a suspect responsible for this heinous act. Arturo Ortega Garcia was extradited from Mexico and has been in the El Paso County Jail awaiting trial ever since.

Villa's surviving siblings talk about their 30-year-long wait for a trial, during which they hope to learn why their sister and nephew were killed.

To see photos of Connie, Dante and Francisco, visit the website.

UPDATE (09/26/24): The judge set Ortega Garcia's case for trial on March 3, 2025. Read the update on the KVIA website.

5 Years Later: Trial for Aug. 3, 2019 Walmart shooter still pending

The November 5, 2024 election could change who leads the prosecution of the Aug. 3 Cielo Vista Walmart shooting trial.

As the Borderland marks the fifth anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in El Paso's history, we are nowhere near the start of the state trial for the man who claimed responsibility for the massacre in a federal court last year.

The lack of a definitive trial date for the shooter means the two men vying to be El Paso's District Attorney are both preparing prosecution strategies while they hit the campaign trail for November's election.

Read the full article: Will Lead Prosecutor on the Walmart Shooting Trial Remain the Same after the Nov. Election?

Justice Delayed: El Paso Girl Waits 8 Years to Face Accused Rapist

An El Paso girl has tried to move past the sexual assault she endured when she was only 5 years old. The girl is now 17, locked in the grinding wheels of the justice system. Edward Alvarado is facing multiple charges of continuous sex abuse of a child, and has been in jail since 2016 awaiting a jury trial. ABC-7's Stephanie Valle investigates what is to blame for the delay.

Listen to Borderland Crimes episode 12 for more background on the state commission investigation into the judge. You can also find that here: A Murder, A Mistrial and Misconduct Allegations

UPDATE (09/09/24): Edward Alvarado was convicted and sentenced to 170 years in prison. Read details

"Perpetually Tortured:" A Family Vows Vigilance as Killers Plead Guilty

On May 17, 2024, three murder suspects who all had once faced a capital murder charge formally accepted their sentences as part of a plea agreement.

Adam Acosta, Tristan Chilton, and Brandon Olsen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder in the death of Tyler Croke, 23.

In 2017, Croke was ambushed in a friend's East El Paso apartment while showering, and was stabbed repeatedly during an attempted robbery sparked over drugs.

Seven years later, Croke's family was able to address the killers during the sentencing hearing.

This is an update to KVIA's Borderland Crimes podcast episode available in this feed from May 2022, called "We Feel Victimized All Over Again."

Learn about the family Kjersten Croke thanked during the District Attorney's news conference in the two episodes found here and here.

Who Killed Kimberly? Daughter Seeks Answers

Kimberly Esparza was walking home with her husband after watching a football game at a bar Sunday night when she was hit by a car and killed. The driver left the scene, and Esparza, a 32-year-old mother of two, died on the street.

More than 12 years after her death, Esparza's oldest daughter is trying to get to the bottom of what happened. She not only wants the driver to come forward, but she also questions the police report that her mother lay down on the road before she was hit. The daughter claims there is evidence casting doubt on the narrative given by the sole witness to the deadly hit-and-run.

This is still an open investigation. If you have information on the hit-and-run that killed Kimberly Esparza on Nov. 7, 2011, call Crime Stoppers at (915) 566-8477.

If you are in an abusive relationship, call the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence at (915) 593-7300.

The YWCA also offers the Transitional Living Center for women in need of emergency shelter. They can be reached at (915) 519-0000. 

Keeping a Killer Incarcerated

Jennifer Ann Crecente, 18, was a high school senior and preparing to graduate with honors. On Feb. 15, 2006, she was shot to death by a former boyfriend. Friends and family knew he was controlling, manipulative and later, learned about how he was verbally abusive.

Despite having a felony criminal history and evidence showing he planned the shooting, Justin Crabbe was granted a plea deal of 35 years behind bars. His first parole hearing was in Aug. 2023.

Jennifer's family, including her grandmother in El Paso, now works to prevent more dating violence among teens, as well as fights to keep the killer behind bars for his full sentence.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Learn the warning signs and help spread awareness among teens by visiting Jennifer Ann's Group: jenniferann.org

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the El Paso Center Against Sexual & Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233. 

 

"I want my mother's story known:" The murder of Mary Corral

El Pasoan Maria Luisa Corral was found dead on April 29, 2005.

The 20-year-old had been beaten and strangled; her lifeless body was shoved inside a bedroom closet of the Lower Valley home belonging to the mother of Corral's boyfriend, 19-year-old Richard Flores. 

Flores had thrown himself a birthday party at the house the night before, and was nowhere to be found. 

With a history of violence between the couple, El Paso police suspected Flores killed Corral. 

He ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

This is a tragic case of dating violence. The couple had been together off-and-on for four years. They had three children, all under the age of three at the time of the murder, who were suddenly without parents.

Nearly 20 years since Corral's murder, one of their daughters, now 21, opens up about her mom, and why she wants people to know what happened.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the El Paso Center Against Sexual & Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233. 

The Final Punishment: An eyewitness account of a killer’s execution

ABC-7 anchor and Borderland Crimes podcast producer Stephanie Valle served as a media witness to an execution in Huntsville, TX.

On Dec. 4, 2001, the man behind a chilling crime that stunned the El Paso community was arrested. David Renteria was charged with capital murder in the death of Alexandra Flores, 5, who had gone missing more than two weeks earlier from the Lower Valley Walmart.

Renteria was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death. That sentence was carried out on Nov. 16, 2023.

The only English-language broadcast journalist from El Paso to be in the prison chronicled the lead-up to the lethal injection and the aftermath.

This is an update to Borderland Crimes Podcast 11: Lured from the Toy Aisle - The Kidnapping and Murder of Alexandra Flores.

The Wait for Justice Ends

At long last, there is a conclusion in the case centered around a deadly shooting outside an east El Paso bar in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2017. The suspected shooter, Moises Galvan, was arrested at the scene. Galvan was accused of murdering RJ Franco, 22, and gravely wounding Franco's friend, David Ortega.

Galvan claimed the shooting happened in self-defense.

It took nearly 7 years, two trials -- one of those, a mistrial -- a trial judge recusal, and several rotations of both defense and prosecuting attorneys for an El Paso jury to finally deliberate and deliver a verdict.

This is an update to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode 12: "A Murder Investigation, a Mistrial, and Misconduct Allegations."

Abduction at an ATM: The Murder of Sophia Martinez

Sophia Martinez, 18, headed out to a blind date on Friday, March 10, 2000. But she never made it to the dance club in downtown El Paso. Sophia’s body was found in the desert just north of the city limits the following day; she had been shot numerous times. The only clue to what happened was a grainy ATM surveillance video showing someone shooting her while she pulled cash. The man in a black beanie then climbed into her car and forced her to drive off at gunpoint. The months that followed were a terrifying time for her family as well as the community, as the killer remained at large. Police managed to track down her killer when a witness could no longer keep the dark secret.