SAN ANTONIO – A suspect has been arrested after a major break in a 20-year-old cold case.
On Friday, Saul Gonzalez, 66, a resident of San Antonio, Texas, was arrested at Eagle Ford Crossing in Cotulla.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, on July 19, 2005, a woman identified as Valerie Laguna was found dead at the Cristo Rey Cemetery in Cotulla, Texas.
Investigators said that Laguna, who was eight months pregnant at the time, had appeared to have been sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled.
At the time, numerous witnesses were interviewed, and DNA samples were collected from multiple individuals. Gonzalez was eventually identified as a possible suspect.
Despite this, there would not be any major breaks in the case, and Gonzalez would remain free as the investigation ground to a halt.
However, in 2020, the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office submitted multiple pieces of evidence to a company called BODE Technology, where DNA profiles were gathered from evidence collected at the scene.
“In 2021, Laguna’s case was identified by the Texas Rangers as being eligible for the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, which is funded by the Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ/BJA). DOJ/BJA provides investigative funding for agencies across the United States to further unsolved sexual assaults and sexually related homicides with the hope of bringing justice to victims and their families.”
According to Texas DPS, after the analysis of the samples was completed, DNA comparisons led to the discovery of Gonzalez’ DNA on evidentiary items.
Gonzalez has since been indicted on charges of Capital Murder and is currently being held in the La Salle County Jail.