A Socorro man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2022 shooting death of 43-year-old Jade Ruiz inside her home, closing a long-running homicide case that has weighed on local investigators and the victim’s family.
Carlos Sifuentes, who was 18 at the time of the killing and is now 23, admitted to fatally shooting Ruiz on February 12, 2022, inside her residence in the 200 block of Isabel Way. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday in the 34th Judicial District Court.
Sentence And Prosecutor's Statement
According to CBS4, the 34th Judicial District Attorney's Office said Sifuentes pleaded guilty to murder and received a 35-year prison sentence. "Jade Ruiz’s family has waited years for justice. We are grateful to the prosecutors and investigators who stayed with this case until it was resolved," District Attorney James Montoya said in a statement.
How Investigators Tied The Case Together
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies were called to the scene of the shooting on the 200 block of Isabel Way on February 12, 2022, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Local station KVIA reported that surveillance video and a handprint collected at the scene were used to link Sifuentes to the home, and he was arrested shortly after the shooting.
Legal Context
Under Texas law, murder is classified as a felony and is punishable by prison terms that can range from five to 99 years or life, depending on the circumstances, according to the state penal code. Sifuentes's 35-year sentence falls within that statutory range, meaning he will remain in prison unless the term is later modified by court action (Texas Penal Code §19.02).
Case Closure And Next Steps
Because Sifuentes entered a guilty plea, the case will not go to trial, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Ruiz's family said they were grateful that prosecutors and investigators continued to pursue the case until it was resolved, according to CBS4.
