By Adriana M. Chávez
El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas - In a modern society with advances in DNA technology and other crime-solving techniques, the El Paso Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit has a surprising weapon that has helped them maintain a high homicide clearance rate - dedication.
Since 2004, unit detectives have investigated 106 slayings and solved all but four of them. Two homicides this year have yet to result in an arrest. However, detectives said they’re closing in on possible suspects in those killings.
According to FBI statistics, 91 percent of the murders investigated by the Police Department between 2000 and 2008 have been solved. On average since 1980, the department has had an 87 percent homicide clearance rate, compared with the national average of 63 percent.
Sgt. Rick Rivera, who has been assigned to the Crimes Against Persons unit for almost two years, said he attributes the high success rate in solving murders to the detectives in the unit.
“I think it’s the caliber of detectives that come into this unit. Technology has a small role in it,” Rivera said. “I think it’s the overall dedication and the aggressive nature these guys have to go out and investigate.”
There are two unsolved homicides so far this year - Juan Jose Esquivel, 33, whose body was found along a Lower Valley canal, and Elias Perez, 53, who was found in a van parked at the Stagecoach Motel, 4110 Alameda. Both homicides occurred in February.
Since 2004, police have yet to solve two other slayings. Joyce Villalobos, 71, a retired schoolteacher, was killed in her home in Central El Paso on July 20, 2007. Police are also still looking for suspects in the beating death of Javier Vallejo, 43, on June 9, 2008. Vallejo was beaten in the 7100 block of Stiles by a group of armed men during a robbery attempt.
There are 15 detectives assigned to Crimes Against Persons, which is responsible for investigating the city’s major crimes, including murders, unattended deaths, sexual assaults, kidnappings, home invasions and officer-involved shootings.
Lt. Alfred Lowe, who has overseen the unit since 2004, describes El Paso as a “large city with small-town attitudes. People work with us because they trust their police department.”
Lowe attributes El Pasoans’ willingness to cooperate with the city’s low crime rate, despite the escalating drug-related violence in Juárez. He also said the department’s cooperation with other law enforcement agencies in El Paso has helped police and other officers solve crimes.
“There’s no hoarding (of information) going on,” Lowe said.
The unit also maintains a strong relationship with prosecutors in the El Paso District Attorney’s Office, said District Attorney Jaime Esparza.
“The detectives who have become part of that unit are highly qualified and committed to their cases,” Esparza said. “From the moment they get the case, it’s a full-time job. They’ll work 24/7 for as long as it takes, and I think that’s a huge reason why they’re successful.”
Lowe said the qualifications to join Crimes Against Persons is more stringent than other units.
“They have to have a proven track record, and we look for skills such as interviewing and interrogation,” Lowe said. “We look for those with experience in patrol and investigative experience as a detective, and they have to be well-rounded.”
Detective Erik Messer, who has been with the unit for more than five years, said he’s always wanted to be a homicide investigator.
“Ever since I was a youngster, I would read books on serial killers,” Messer said.
For other detectives, the nature of investigating high-profile crimes lured them into a long career as a Crimes Against Persons detective.
“I think it’s the challenge of each case, especially those that get a little more complicated,” said Detective Arturo Ruiz, who has been with Crimes Against Persons for 18 years. “I also like actually bringing closure to a family to a certain degree.”
Lowe said detectives need sensitivity when talking to crime victims and their families, as well as a desire to respond to calls no matter the time or the place.
Many detectives have missed out on plenty of sleep, holidays and family gatherings to respond to crime scenes, but they say it’s worth it.
“It’s a high-demand unit. Weekends are ruined, family functions get spoiled, but it’s the dedication we have,” Ruiz said.