Police make two arrests in 2019 El Centro murder
Victim found in burning trash can
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - El Centro Police Department (ECPD) announced late Tuesday, detectives have made two arrests in connection with the murder of a local man in September of 2019.
Firefighters discovered the body of 30-year-old Raul Esparza on the morning of September 17 behind a business on Second Street. Someone had stuffed it into a trash can and set it on fire.
Police made an appeal to the public for tips and clues, but the case went unsolved for several months.
Then, on July 30, 11-months after the murder, El Centro police arrested Daniel Alexander Munguia on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators say Munguia was a person of interest in the Esparza case. Prosecutors charged him with murder after he was in custody.
Last Thursday ECPD made a second arrest in the case. Officers say they arrested Rosita Deborah Torres on murder charges.
Torres and Munguia both remain in the Imperial County Jail.
Detectives have yet to release any details on their investigation. However, News 11, 13 On Your Side, and KYMA.com will continue to follow this developing story and bring you more information as it becomes available.
