Desert Aire suspect arrested in girlfriend's murder

DESERT AIRE - Grant County Sheriff's detectives have arrested and charged a Desert Aire man in connection with the murder of a woman near Mattawa, discovered on Oct. 16.

Jose Abilion Aguilar Aguilar, 35, of 704 Thunderbird Way, Desert Aire, was arrested without incident at around 8 p.m. on Monday night, Oct. 29. He was lodged in the Grant County Jail on suspicion of

first degree murder, alien in possession of a firearm, felony harassment and intimidating a witness.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz granted Prosecutor Angus Lee's request of a $1 million bail for Aguilar Aguilar.

Aguilar Aguilar is suspected of the murder of Carmelita Lopez Santos, described as in her 30s, of Yakima. Santos' bare-footed body was found by a hunter in a recreation area off of Road 26 Southwest on the 16th.

Santos' family provided information that led to the arrest. After learning of a dead woman near Mattawa, they used the Grant County Sheriff's office crime tips e-mail to send information that Carmelita was missing.

A long, tedious investigation ensued. It ended with a 14-page charging (probable cause) statement by investigating Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Green.

The investigation revealed Aguilar and Santos had been in a romantic relationship, and Aguilar was allegedly upset when Santos broke off that relationship.

Key evidence at the crime scene were four 9 mm shell casings. Aguilar was found to be in possession of such a firearm.

The investigation started immediately after the discovery of the body. It involved six GCSO officers of differing levels.

The Buckskhot Wildlife Access Area crime scene, from the parking lot to the body, was processed. Potential evidence was marked, photographed, and eventually secured.

The investigation broke open two days later after the family of Lopez Santos learned through media reports that the body of a woman that might be Lopez Santos was found near Mattawa.

"On Thursday, 10/18/12, I received an e-mail from an unknown person explaining his aunt went missing from Yakima. Her name is Carmelita Lopez Santos, she is in her late 30s," Green recorded in his notes.

Green corresponded with the man by e-mail and discovered his name was Julio Cruz. Green checked a Department of Licensing photo of Lopez Santos, other information and her missing person report. It appeared she was the dead woman.

Tracking Lopez Santos' phone with occasional pings, Green located it in the Mattawa vicinity on Oct. 20. Meanwhile, the person in possession of the phone was using it to call Cruz.

"At approximately 2200 hours I received a phone call from Julio Cruz (Carmelita's family) notifying me they were on the phone with an unknown male using Carmelita's cell phone," Green recorded in his notes.

Cruz said the unknown male caller refused to identify himself and stated that Lopez Santos left with her boyfriend to Mexico and that she is fine. The caller said he found the phone at a Wal-Mart in Yakima but refused to return the phone to the family even after being offered money.

However, Cruz's recognition of that voice later led eventually to Aguilar Aguilar. When deputies subsequently served a warrant at Aguilar Aguilar's place, they were told by a roommate that Aguilar Aguilar had told him he'd killed Lopez Santos.

"The closing of this investigation was due to a huge amount if teamwork and skilled investigation, including cell phone data and interviews with several people," Sheriff Tom Jones said.