A man who fled the country after the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife more than 30 years ago is now behind bars in Northern Virginia, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.
The crime dates back to the night of April 30, 1991, when Fairfax County police discovered the body of 24-year-old Ana Jurado in the 3100 block of Cofer Road in the West Falls Church area.
The victim was found near her home. At that time, a neighbor reported hearing the commotion: “I heard a scream. I lift up my head and looked out. I saw two people on the side street up there, and it looked like they were fighting."
Police said Jurado’s estranged husband, Jose Lazaro Cruz, was quickly identified as the suspect, but he fled, and was eventually tracked to El Salvador.
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The problem, authorities said, was that for years that country did not have a policy to allow for extradition.
“We believe that he started an entire new family in El Salvador,” Lt. Col. Eli Cory said.
Lazaro Cruz's past caught up to him in July of 2022, when authorities said he tried to enter Costa Rica and was detained. Fairfax County police shared a video of him being brought back to Fairfax County last week to face charges, including for murder.
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“We will never forget. We have never forgotten. We’ve never forgotten the family. We’ve never forgotten the seriousness of this senseless crime, and we never stopped,” Chief Kevin Davis said.
The homicide detective who started the murder investigation, Fred Pfeiff, has died. But his son, now a second lieutenant with the department, was there on Monday to reflect on what that day would mean to his father.
“Bringing closure to the victims’ families wasn’t just a duty for him, it was a commitment,” 2nd Lt. Aaron Pfeiff said.
And there may be some closure, too, for Jurado’s former neighbors. They’ve never forgotten her tragic death, and the three little children left without a mother. Near the spot where she died rests a stone with her name under a tree planted in her memory.
Fairfax County police credit the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Department of Justice for helping bring the suspect back to Northern Virginia.
