By Erika Hernandez
20 Oct 2024, 20:34 PM EDT
Authorities reported that The prime suspect in a Houston, Texas, area murder case was found dead by law enforcement officials on Friday.
Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found in the city of Needville after deputies with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a person seen hanging.
Romero was suspected of stabbing and killing his wife, Anyi Tatiana Montealegre Izquierdo, 23on October 14 at the couple’s home in nearby Richmond.
The location where Romero was found is about two miles from where he is believed to have last been seen alive, deputies said.
He was identified by clothing, tattoos and a passport that was found. Investigators said the clothing Romero was wearing when he was last seen alive in surveillance footage on Oct. 14 matched what he was wearing on his body.
“Although a thorough investigation is underway to ensure all protocols are followed, it appears this is a suicide. Our deepest condolences to all the families affected by this tragedy,” said Sheriff Eric Fagan, according to Fox 26 in Houston.
As the chase unfolded, Izquierdo’s family told KHOU that Romero grew up and spent his entire life in a jungle in Colombia and probably knew survival techniques to stay on the run in rural areas such as the southwest Houston metropolitan area.
The family was worried that Romero might hurt someone else if he wasn’t caught.
Izquierdo’s cousins said they often had to intervene when the woman and Romero constantly fought after moving to the United States. They added that Romero tried to kill her when they lived in Colombia.
They said Izquierdo moved to the United States with Romero so he could raise money for his family and son who they had left in Colombia.
Colombian Consulate General Andrés Díaz told Fox 26 that he wishes things were different.
“I am very sorry for the news of Romero’s death, as any Colombian is, but I would have liked him to turn himself in to the authorities and face the law,” Díaz said.
Izquierdo’s family stated that they wanted his body to be repatriated to Colombia. Díaz said that could take several weeks since the case remains under investigation.
“We are going step by step, but the process is not short, unfortunately. It will probably take us four to six weeks to repatriate the body,” Díaz said.
In addition to helping repatriate Izquierdo’s body, the consulate is also paying for funeral services.
“Unfortunately, this American dream ended very badly for this little girl and we apologize very much,” Diaz said.
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