Mexican Federal PGR Raised Rewards For Suspects In Mother And Daughter Escobedo Homicides In Chihuahua

Rewards for murder suspect in sketch has been raised to $3 million pesos ($230,770 U.S.) and Bocanegra has been raised to $5 million pesos ($384,616 U.S.), the Mexican government announced.

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 23, 2011

Mexico City, Mexico - On Thursday, the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) announced that it had raised the rewards for several suspects connected to the homicides of a mother and daughter. The PGR had released the sketch of the alleged 30-year-old suspect who shot Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, 52, several times including a fatal shot to the head.
The PGR is now offering $3 million pesos ($230,770 U.S.) from $200,000 pesos ($16,000 U.S.) it had previously offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. The suspect is believed to have been working with Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra, 24, the alleged boyfriend and confessed killer of Ortiz' daughter Rubi Marisol Frayre Escobedo, 16, from Ciudad Juarez.
Bocanegra is accused of taking part in the planned killing of Ortiz on December 16 and the September 2008 murder of Rubi Marisol. He had confessed to killing Rubi Marisol and even led police to a hog farm where her dismembered body was found. Mexican authorities are now offering $5 million pesos ($384,616 U.S.) from $500,000 pesos ($41,000 U.S.) it had previously offered for information leading to the arrest of Bocanegra. They issued an international warrant because Bocanegra could have left the country, but family members of the Escobedo's believe he is leaving with his girlfriend and several kids in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Bocanegra is an alleged member of Los Zetas and the Cartel de Sinaloa has also joined in the manhunt for Bocanegra, according to several large hand written poster signs discovered around Ciudad Juarez and the Chihuahua Capitol city.
Ortiz had struggled for two years to bring Bocanegra to justice for the murder of her daughter Rubi Marisol in 2008. The day Ortiz was killed, she was outside the Chihuahua state government building in the city of Chihuahua for nine days staging a protest and demanding justice from Governor César Duarte and the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office. (Building video of chase and murder: http://bit.ly/h9EKBP)

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Three Chihuahua Judges Responsible For Letting Killer Go Free, Now Facing State Congressional Inquiry In Mexico

(L-R) Municipal Judges Rafael Boudib Jurado, Catalina Ochoa Cervantes and Netzahualcóyot Zúniga Vasquez (Photos: Notifama Estatal)

The Chihuahua State legislature initiates inquiry into Sergio Barraza Bocanegra's release in April by judges.

By H. Nelson Goodson
January 11, 2011

Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico - On Tuesday, the Chihuahua state legislature unanimously accepted to conduct an inquiry to investigate and conduct a hearing on the actions taken by three judges who released an alleged killer, according to a press release. The inquiry request was filed by the Chihuahua State Commission on Human Rights.
Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegro, 24, who was released by three judges is the boyfriend and confessed killer of Rubi Marisol Frayre Escobedo, 16, from Ciudad Juarez. Rubi was the daughter of Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, 52, who was killed in December by an accomplice of Bocanegra in front of the Chihuahua state government building. Marisela had sought justice for her daughter's homicide and was pushing for Governor César Duarte of Chihuahua to initiate an investigation into Bocanegra's release, eventhough he had confessed and led police to Rubi's dismembered body at a hog farm near Juarez.
The three Chihuahua judges who released Bocanegra were identified as, Municipal Judges Catalina Ochoa Cervantes, Netzahualcóyot Zúniga Vasquez and Rafael Boudib Jurado. In April 2010, they decided to absolved Bocanegra of all charges stemming from the Rubi's homicide for lack of evidence.
An outcry and murder of Rubi's mother Marisela resulted in suspending the judges from duties pending an investigation and possible charges for releasing a dangerous criminal against public safety.
The judges face disbarment, if the found they violated state law.
Both Bocanegra and his accomplice, Marisela's killer remain at large and a reward of $700,000 pesos ($57,000 U.S.) has been offered. Interpol as a request of the Mexican government has issued an international warrant for Bocanegra, who might have left the country to avoid prosecution. Bocanegra joined Los Zetas, according to the Mexican Attorney General's Office.

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Barraza Bocanegra Becomes The Most Wanted Man In Mexico In Connection With The Escobedo Ortiz Mother And Daughter Homicides

Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra

Photo: AEI

Wanted in connection with a double homicide

By H. Nelson Goodson
December 20, 2010

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - Over the weekend, Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra, 22, became the most recent wanted man in Mexico in connection with the death of a mother and daughter. He is accused of two counts of homicide for the September 2008 murder of Rubi Marisol Frayre Escobedo, 16, and the December 16, 2010 murder of Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, 52.
Bocanegra is wanted by both the state and federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) Mexican military, and the Federal Police for his connection with the mother and daughter homicides. Carlos Manuel Salas, the Chihuahua Attorney General said, that the state had sufficient evidence to hold Bocanegra and those involved with the death of Escobedo Ortiz for murder.
Last April, Bocanegra a suspected Zeta member had been freed by Municipal Judges Catalina Ochoa Cervantes, Netzahualcóyotl Zúniga Vasquez and Rafael Boudib Jurado when they decided to absolved him of all charges stemming from the Rubi Marisol homicide for lack of evidence. Eventhough, Bocanegra had confessed to the murder and led police to her dismembered body at a hog farm. Bocanegra claimed he was tortured by police and forced to confessed.
Governor César Duarte requested for the Chihuahua State Judge Panel Commission to remove Judges Ochoa Cervantes, Zúniga and the other judge involved in setting Bocanegra free. The judge panel suspended and removed the three judges and are now continuing their investigation into Bocanegra's case dismissal. Bocanegra had been convicted in absentia for Rubi Marisol's murder and had been sentenced to 50 years in prison, ten years less than the maximum sentence. Possible charges against the three judges could be filed for illegaly letting an alleged criminal free who was deemed dangerous to public safety, according to state attorney general's office.
Her mother, Escobedo Ortiz had sought justice for her daughter's death and sought the maximum murder sentence of 60 years in prison for Bocanegra and had embarked on a justice crusade to demand Governor Duarte and the Chihuahua state attorney general's office to investigate her daughter's homicide case for two years.
Last Thursday, she was at the Hidalgo Park across the Chihuahua state government building protesting and demanding justice when several men in a white vehicle stopped and one of them chased Escobedo Ortiz to the state building and shot her dead. She was shot two times and one fatal shot to the head.  A state government building surveillance video captured the killing.
The surveillance video from the Chihuahua's state government office building at the capitol was recovered showing Ortiz's murder. (Building video of chase and murder: http://goo.gl/DvHPH).

Related article: Mexico: Hundreds protest and demand justice for Escobedo Ortiz who was killed outside the Chihuahua's state government building http://bit.ly/g4Gy8d

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