Thread: Woman Dragged To Death In Colorado-Suspect Arrested

http://www.turnto10.com/news/9894086/detail.html

Police: Woman Dragged To Death In Colorado
Police Announce Suspect's Arrest

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. -- A woman in Colorado was dragged to death earlier this week.

And now, authorities said they have arrested a suspect. Jose Luis Rubi-Nava, 36, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder and was being held without bail in the Douglas County jail, Sheriff Dave Weaver said.

The victim still has not been identified.

Weaver said Rubi-Nava was the man pictured in a photograph found near the woman's body when she was discovered. Weaver did not say whether a woman who also appeared in the photo had been identified.

An autopsy report released late Tuesday revealed that the victim was alive when the killer or killers placed a rope around her neck and dragged her behind a vehicle. The coroner said she died from blunt force injuries and strangulation.

The woman's mangled, naked body was discovered along Surrey Drive near the Surrey Ridge subdivision, about 20 miles south of Denver, at about 2:39 a.m. Monday, police said.

Police said she was dragged in the normally quiet subdivision for more than a mile. The woman was found dead with an orange tow rope wrapped around her neck.

Police said a winding drag mark, consisting of tire marks and blood, stretched from Interstate 25 exit 191 to the area in the road where the woman's body was found, Denver TV station KMGH reported.

Her face was so disfigured that she could not be identified, police said.

Investigators said Tuesday that an autopsy determined the woman was alive when she was being dragged.

Police said at least one witness reported seeing a vehicle driving with its lights off, dragging something the night the woman was killed.

On Tuesday, a cross adorned with flowers and an angel was erected near the spot where the woman was found.

"It just tugs at your heart that she died such a horrific death. I don't know who put those there, but she certainly deserves that and more," said neighbor Sandi Berg.

Police said they have interviewed three witnesses in connection to a photograph found at the crime scene. The names of the witnesses were not released and their status was not immediately known on Wednesday morning.

Douglas County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kim L. Castellano said that she believes the case is solvable and called the questioning of the witnesses a "significant development."

On Tuesday, Weaver thanked everyone who came forward with information regarding the case but did not specifically say if any of those witnesses identified the woman in the photo or the woman who was killed.

It is not clear if the witnesses came forward voluntarily.

The victim was described as a white, Hispanic or Native American woman with a short stature and stocky build. She was in her 30s and had fair to medium skin. She was 5 feet tall and 130 to 140 pounds. Her auburn hair, which may have been dyed, was shoulder length or slightly longer. She had hazel or green eyes, police said.

Authorities said that local residents should not worry about a possible killer in the neighborhood.

"I don't think there's anything to be concerned about. I think the individual came to this area to dump the body," said Undersheriff Tony Spurloch.

Nevertheless, the crime has offended and disturbed neighbors.

According to the sheriff's office, a man called authorities at 2:39 a.m. to report finding the woman's body on the road near his house. Her body was found in a massive pool of blood in the middle of the street. There was so much blood spilled on the concrete that street sweepers could not remove it all and authorities had to hire a private contractor to take care of it.

Some traces of blood remain, and that's upsetting neighbors, Foley said.

"We don't want to attract any more attention that what we're already getting. This is our little piece of heaven," she said.

Why doesn't this surprise me?

All this horrendous crimes. If these are not terrorist then who?

So were any of these individuals illegal?

So were any of these individuals illegal?

I'd not be suprised, like other parts of the nation we are experiencing an increase in numbers of illegal aliens and crime in Colorado.

Freaking horrific act to do another person, no matter what the grievance is.

This article answers my question.

http://www.9news.com

Arrest made in gruesome murder
written by: Sara Gandy Web Producer

Created: 9/20/2006 9:06 AM MST - Updated: 9/20/2006 12:07 PM MST



DOUGLAS COUNTY - The sheriff's office said Wednesday morning they have not yet identified the female victim who was murdered by being dragged behind a vehicle but an arrest has been made.

9NEWS reported earlier that the victim had been identified, but Douglas County Sheriff Dave Weaver stated they had not yet made a formal identification.

During the Wednesday morning press conference, Weaver also said the suspect, Jose Luis Rubi-Nava, 36 of Glendale, was being held on first degree murder charges. Weaver added that "a detainer has been placed" on Rubi-Nava from Immigration Customs Enforcement because he is believed to be in the country illegally.

He is currently being held at the Douglas County jail on a no-bond hold.

The suspect, who currently lives in Glendale, was arrested in Douglas County. Authorities plan to serve several search warrants Wednesday, one of which will be at his residence in Glendale.

"I would like to assure the residents of Surrey Ridge and Douglas County that this location was randomly selected," Weaver said.

9NEWS obtained Rubi-Nava's records through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The records show that Rubi-Nava was arrested on April 21 and charged with false identification, no driver's license and no proof of insurance.

Rubi-Nava will be advised in court at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

---

An autopsy of the woman was released Tuesday showing that she was still alive as she was being dragged behind a vehicle for more than a mile.

The Douglas County Coroner's office said Tuesday evening the unidentified woman died from head injuries and asphyxiation due to blunt force trauma and strangulation because she was dragged behind a vehicle.

Authorities said test results for drugs and alcohol could take another three weeks.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Douglas County Sheriff's office announced it had detained several witnesses in connection to the case.

---

The woman's body was found naked in a field beside Surrey Drive, near the Surrey Ridge Subdivision, early Monday morning.

Her face was unrecognizable because of the injuries she had sustained, police said.

A small memorial to the woman has been put up on the side of the road.

Investigators also found a photo of a couple during a search of the crime scene, but say they are not sure if the photo is related to the incident and do not have any reason to believe the woman in the photo is the victim.

Douglas County Sheriff Dave Weaver also says he wants to thank the citizens who came forward with information regarding the case.

I assume this is the victim with the animal who dragged her.

Small update... Just on Fox (Shep Smith) speaking with Carol McKinley (Denver area correspondent)...

Said that Yes - perp was indeed an illegal, and ...
That Denver Police (DPD) had previously stopped the perp recently - for traffic violations regarding: moving violation, invalid registration, lack of insurance, etc. and let him go (I assume with the usual notice to appear type citation).

Another tragedy that was probably avoidable...

You know if Any Legal American Citizen were pulled over with no registration or proof of insurance our cars would at the very least be towed. This is outrageous that a person was brutally murdered because we don’t have secure borders!

jp: Hey, it's true - I hear ya.

Also, just a note about my post above - the reason I even bothered was to point out that the DENVER PD (as in sanctuary city - formally or not) was the point at which the perp was in contact with law enforcement. So, someone, somewhere in the DPD had a chance to divert this monster from his later crime...oh well.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4975680?source=rss

Fatal-dragging suspect ordered to give DNA

A man charged in the gruesome dragging death of his girlfriend was ordered Monday to provide DNA samples to prosecutors.

Jose Luis Rubi-Nava, 36, faces charges of first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping in the slaying of Luz Marie Franco-Fierros, 49. Her battered and disfigured body was found Sept. 18 at the end of a mile-long trail of blood near Castle Rock, about 20 miles south of Denver.

Prosecutors told the judge they believe a physical altercation occurred at the site where the dragging began. They said they believe DNA samples collected at the scene belong to Franco-Fierros but need Rubi-Nava's DNA to help confirm it was not his.

Douglas County District Judge Paul King granted the request over objections from Rubi-Nava's attorney, Tamara Brady, who said investigators already had all the evidence they needed and that collecting additional material would violate her client's rights.