Two suspects were arrested in Texas in connection with a Lafayette Parish homicide, a case that comes after the parish recorded no homicides in 2025, according to local reporting and law-enforcement data cited by The Advocate. The prior-year figure is a contrast in timing, not evidence of a broader trend from this single case.
The Advocate reported that Lafayette recorded 10 homicides in 2025, a 44% decrease from the previous year, while Lafayette Parish recorded zero that year. The figures were based on data from the Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office; the city and parish totals refer to distinct areas.
In the current case, deputies responding Oct. 26 to the 200 block of Despain Street found 35-year-old Jorge Andino Espinal dead, WGNO reported. Investigators also learned that a vehicle registered to Espinal had been taken from the residence, the outlet said.
Jamie Santos Martinez, 19, and a juvenile suspect were arrested in Texas, according to Acadiana News First. Investigators used surveillance-camera information and assistance from Dallas police to locate the vehicle there, the outlet reported. Martinez is the adult suspect identified in the coverage; the juvenile was not named.
The two were being transported to Lafayette Parish to be booked on charges of first-degree murder and theft of a motor vehicle, WGNO and Acadiana News First reported. Both outlets said the investigation remains ongoing.
