Woman accused of killing Texas teen, on the run nearly eleven years, captured in Mexico
ENNIS, Texas (KWTX) - Jennifer Samantha Puente, 29, of Ennis, was captured in Mexico and extradited to the U.S. to face charges in the murder of Moriah Gonzales, 15, police said.
The victim’s charred remains were found in a field in Ennis, and Puente, one of two suspects in the case, had been a fugitive since March 2012.
Puente has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of tampering or fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse.
Fox 4 in Dallas-Fort Worth reported Puente was 18 at the time of the murder and reportedly a friend of Gonzales. Her boyfriend at the time, Joe Alvarado, was sentenced to 34 years in prison for murder, plus 20 years for tampering with evidence in 2014, Fox 4 reported.
Alvarado reportedly testified Puente fatally shot Gonzales while they were on drugs and he helped Puente take the body to the field where it was set on fire.
Puente is now being held in the Ellis County Jail awaiting trial.
“We would also like to extend special thanks to Ann Montgomery and the entire Ellis County District Attorney’s Office team for their tireless efforts to locate, capture, arrest, and extradite Puente,” Ennis police said. “We continue to pray for the family members of Moriah as they continue to navigate life without her.”
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