Man pleads guilty to cold-case murder
José Larazo Cruz pled guilty to killing his wife more than 30 years ago in the Falls Church area of Mason District.
Larazo Cruz faces a sentence of up to 40 years for second-degree murder, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced Aug. 9. A sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 7.
According to prosecutors, Larazo Cruz believed his estranged wife, Ana Jurado, 24, was having an affair with another man. On April 30, 1991, he confronted her outside her home in the 6000 block of Gouthier Road.
After a verbal dispute, he slashed her across the neck with a knife, leaving her in the street. She was declared deceased at the scene.
Police identified Larazo Cruz (aka Lazaro Cruz) as a suspect shortly thereafter and issued a warrant on May 10, 1991. He fled to El Salvador before he could be arrested and remained there for over 30 years.
He was finally arrested crossing from El Salvador into Costa Rica in 2022 and extradited to the U.S. in January.
“When Jose Larazo Cruz killed Ana Jurado, he left behind three young children and a devastated community,” Descano said. “It’s been over 30 years since that dark day, but Fairfax County has never forgotten her or her family, and we remain committed to the pursuit of justice for all victims of violent crimes.”
A memorial to Ana still exists on Gouthier Road. Happy to see justice finally served for her and her children.
Thanks god the bad person should pay for his crime he did thanks to the good relation between USA&el Salvador law enforcement
I read somewhere that the self-affirming murderer is 60 years old today. If so and presume a 40 year sentence at convention, that makes prison effectively his retirement home with food and medical care provided by the government. Not a great or ideal retirement by any means. However, I’m sure that the perpetrator’s lawyer will aim to have time to be served is in some kind of minimum security/light duty prison due to his age; presuming the Commonwealth Attorney and state correctional authorities agree. For once, it might make more sense to have the death penalty in his case. Based on news reports – He has ended a life, abandoned children, lived his life for decades, and would now be in custody but taken care of for effectively the rest of his days. I’m not for or against this idea, but it makes sense in this situation to me.