Man Wanted In East El Paso Triple Homicide In Custody

Luis Javier Solis-Gonzalez, the man wanted by police in a triple homicide, is in custody after he surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso Del Norte port of entry just before noon Friday.

CBP officers then turned him over to El Paso Police custody.

El Paso Police said Friday afternoon that investigators were meeting with Solis and that more details would be released when available.

El Paso Police had issued a capital murder warrant for Solis-Gonzalez in the Thursday deaths of 34-year old Marysol Saldivar, 13-year old Cassaundra Holt and 42-year old Eric DeSantiago.

Police were called to do a welfare check at about 6:15 a.m. Thursday at a town home in the 1580 block of Bengal where the three people were found dead.

“There are signs of foul play,” El Paso Police spokesman Chris Mears said on Thursday. “We do believe that all three were murdered.”

According to police officials, Crimes Against Persons detectives developed probable cause to believe Solis-Gonzalez, 35, entered the residence and killed his estranged wife Saldivar, his stepdaughter Cassaundra, and Saldivar’s boyfriend DeSantiago before fleeing the scene in Saldivar?s vehicle.

Saldivar and Solis-Gonzalez have one young child together who was not injured in the attack.

The capital murder warrant carries a $1.5 million bond. Police said they believe Solis-Gonzalez had fled to Mexico where he abandoned Saldivar?s vehicle. The vehicle was recovered by Mexican law enforcement Thursday.

ABC-7 spoke with the older sister of victim DeSantiago on Thursday, who said he leaves behind two teenage daughters of his own.

“He was a great dad, very protective of his girls,” Ruth Portillo said.

DeSantiago’s family said jealousy motivated the homicides.

“They were really happy,” the family member said. “I had not seen my brother this happy in a long time.”

DeSantiago’s sister was one of several family members who waited for hours outside the crime scene, heartbroken.

“He was a loving father, a loving brother. If he had $5, he’d give it to you if you needed it. He was always there for anybody,” the sister said.

Cassaundra, Marysol’s daughter from a previous relationship, was a seventh grader at Desert View Middle. A marquee at the school said she’ll be missed.

The triple homicide brings this year’s homicide total in El Paso to 13. There were 16 homicides last year and five in 2010.