Man Suspected of Killing 2 in New Mexico in Custody in Texas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect in the deaths of a 19-year-old college student and her mother in southeast Albuquerque turned himself in to police in Texas, authorities said Sunday.
Albuquerque police announced Jesus Cartagena Jr. was being held by El Paso police on suspicion of two open counts of murder in the deaths of Shanta Hanish and 58-year-old Laura Hanish.
According to a criminal complaint, both women appeared to have been stabbed numerous times and a large knife was found near one of the bodies.
The arrest warrant affidavit also said Shanta Hanish had been dating Cartagena, 20, for four to five years but had broken up with him within the past two weeks and moved back in with her mother.
Shanta Hanish was a student at the University of New Mexico while her mother was due to retire this year after 24 years as a social worker at the public defender's office.
The women's bodies were found in their home Friday morning when an employer went to go check on Laura Hanish after she didn't show up for work.
Albuquerque police said detectives tracked Cartagena to the El Paso/Juarez area before he turned himself in police late Saturday night.
According to the criminal complaint, Cartagena told El Paso police he had "done something bad in Albuquerque" and "hurt someone really bad" after breaking through a window to enter a home.
Officers noticed Cartagena's clothing appeared bloody and he had injuries to both arms.
Albuquerque police said their homicide detectives were headed to meet El Paso police about Cartagena's case.