El Paso boxer and her husband allegedly killed by husband’s twin in Kansas

A former El Paso boxer and her husband were killed last week in Wichita, Kansas and authorities say it was murder.

Twenty-two year-old Lucero Rodriguez was found shot to death last Wednesday night at her apartment in Wichita. Her husband, Manuel Alvarado-Meraz was also found dead. Alvarado-Meraz’s twin brother, Luis, has been arrested and charged with both murders.

“She just hugged me real tight and she said, ‘It’s true’ and I was like, ‘No it’s not, no it’s not, it can’t be, it can’t be,'” said Claudia Coria, describing her reaction to the moment she found out her niece from El Paso and her husband had been murdered in Wichita, allegedly by Manuel’s own twin brother. “She would go out of her way to help you, no matter if she just got paid and she was going to be left with no money. She would do it for you, you know?”

Now Rodriguez’s family is asking for help to bring the former El Paso boxer’s body home from Wichita for burial.

“I really took it hard when I found out she got murdered,” said Jerry Hernandez, coach of the Borderland Brawlers boxing team.

Hernandez told ABC-7 he watched Rodriguez grow up in the gym from the time she was a little girl.

“She had fast hands, she was fearless and she loved the competition,” Hernandez said. “She was a great fighter and a good person. I can’t see anybody doing that to her. I don’t see why. That’s such a waste. It’s a horrible, heartbreaking thing.”

“I was devasted,” added Benjamin Reyes, a former teacher of Rodriguez’s at El Paso Academy East. “(She was) very illuminating, so to speak. Her name definitely fit her.”

Reyes is trying to raise at least $7,000 to pay for the transport of Rodriguez’s body back to El Paso.

“It’s hard enough to lose a child,” he said. “It’s harder to try and make sure that they can lay in peace.”

“Maybe we can help bring her home,” Hernandez added. “She needs to come home for her family.”

“Let her family have that peace of mind she’s here with them,” Reyes said. “They can say goodbye and they can go ahead and continue living.”

To help the family, log onto GoFundMe.com. Search for “Bring Lucero Home!!!” There you can donate to the account.

Reyes said the goal is to raise $15,000 in order to also help the family with funeral expenses.