Local police are asking the public for help finding a double murder suspect named Hector Matute, who sometimes goes by Hector Paguada.
The 33-year-old suspect is wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of 55-year-old Juana Medina Rodriguez and 23-year-old Nayeli Bolaños Medina, who were both from El Salvador, according to Fox 4 KDFW. Although the motive for the alleged attack has not been disclosed, detectives said they believe that Matute knew the two victims.
The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on January 19 at an apartment located in the 2000 block of West Irving Boulevard, per CBS News Texas. Irving police were dispatched to the scene, where Rodriguez was found dead. Medina was discovered shot and in critical condition but later died at a nearby hospital. The suspected killer is believed to have fled the scene prior to the officers’ arrival.
Rodriguez was Medina’s mother, as well as grandmother to Medina’s 5-year-old son, who was reportedly inside the apartment at the time of the shooting. An arrest warrant on capital murder charges has been issued.
“We are requesting anyone with information on the whereabouts of Hector to contact their local police department immediately. Please do not attempt to contact or apprehend this individual,” reads a notice issued by the Irving Police Department.
North Texas has seen a bloody start to the new year, especially in Dallas, where 11 criminal homicides have already been logged by officials as of press time, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. Last year, Dallas saw a 15% year-over-year rise in murders, with the overwhelming majority of the victims recorded as black or Hispanic.
Despite its best efforts to bring down the city’s murder rate, the Dallas Police Department has been hampered by a significant staffing shortage. It fields only around 3,000 officers, whereas a City report recommends a force of 4,000 to ensure public safety in Dallas. DPD has been budgeted $654 million this fiscal year by City leaders, considerably less than the amount of taxpayer money spent on policing efforts in other high-crime municipalities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Studies looking at crime in Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth’s city center have shown a stark disparity, with about seven times more reports being filed in the former. Meanwhile, the latter is patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit working with private security guards.