A day after local law enforcement urged the public for information on a missing Sampson County woman, her husband was charged in her murder.
On Friday, Sampson County Sheriff’s investigators, with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, obtained enough probable cause to charge Jasmina Judith Almendarez Zelaya’s husband, Jose Fernando Quiroz, 37, of 7585 Turkey Hwy., Turkey, with murder.
“To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and out of respect to the family of Jasmina, no further information will be released at this time,” a Sheriff’s Office press release stated. “This is a very fluid and ongoing investigation.”
It is unclear where or when her body was discovered, or what other evidence may have prompted the sudden arrest. No potential motive was disclosed for the murder.
Quiroz’s arrest came just one day after the Sheriff’s Office disseminated information on Zelaya’s disappearance to media outlets, circulating flyers through news and social media in both English and Spanish with her name, face and description. Authorities said she was last seen at that Turkey residence.
The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office received a missing persons report on Tuesday, April 14, from family members of Zelaya, 30, who was last seen at the same Turkey residence. Family members said they had not had contact with her since April 6, expressing that was “out of character” for her, sheriff’s officials said Thursday.
Officers said they immediately sent out a state broadcast about Zelaya to other law enforcement agencies and investigators began actively searching before also soliciting the public’s assistance on Thursday. They urged anyone with information concerning Zelaya to contact the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
“This is an active investigation into a missing person,” the agency stated, “and is being treated as such at this time.”
Less than 24 hours later, it has now become a homicide case.
Quiroz was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center without privilege of bond. Jail records show that an immigration detainer is also in effect on Quiroz. Thedetainer is used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other Department of Homeland Security officials when a potentially deportable individual is arrested.
