- After more than a decade on the run, Jennifer Samantha Puente, a fugitive murder suspect, was extradited from Mexico to face charges in the murder of 15-year-old Moriah Gonzales in Ennis, Texas, in 2012.
Puente, who was 18 years old at the time of the crime, is accused of stabbing Gonzales to death and then burning her body in a field. She was also charged with tampering with evidence.
According to Fox News, Puente had been a suspect in the murder since shortly after Gonzales’ body was discovered, but she fled the country and remained at large for years. In 2016, investigators discovered that she may have fled to Mexico, and worked with the US Department of Justice to request warrants for her arrest. She was finally captured by Mexican authorities in October 2021, and last week, she was returned to the US to face charges.
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Joe Alvarado, who was 40 years old at the time of the murder, has already been convicted of the same charges that Puente now faces. He testified that Puente had been under the influence of drugs and had threatened Gonzales with a knife before stabbing her at his mother’s house. Alvarado also admitted to helping Puente dispose of the body.
The extradition of Puente is the result of years of hard work and collaboration between law enforcement agencies in the US and Mexico. Ellis County District Attorney Ann Montgomery praised the work of public officials in tracking down Puente and expressed her hope that the case would bring justice for Moriah Gonzales and her family.
The tragic murder of Moriah Gonzales is a reminder of the importance of bringing fugitives to justice, no matter how long it takes. The extradition of Jennifer Samantha Puente is a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement officials and the cooperation between different countries and agencies in the pursuit of justice.
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