El Paso Sheriff’s release identity of second man found dead in Canutillo, neighbors react to discovery

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office identified the second of two men found dead in Canutillo last weekend.

The bodies of 51-year-old Saul Romero and 49-year-old James Smith, both of Canutillo, were found near Doniphan Drive and Central Avenue Saturday. People who live in the area have mixed reactions to the news.

The Canutillo neighborhood near the area where two men were found dead saturday is well populated with stores, restaurants and houses. Although the identity of the second victim has been released, some people are on edge.

Karla Vergara has lived near Central and Doniphan for nine years.

“Sometimes I feel safe because the police is around here, but sometimes no because the people do drugs and it’s not safe,” Vergara said Tuesday afternoon.

Smith and Romero’s bodies were found near the Rio Grande. A woman who doesn’t want to be identified says she knew Romero.

“He was a nice guy. He was fine. But … it’s weird to see dead bodies in our street. Like, it’s hard,” the woman said.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. One of the most important ones being how the men died. Smith’s cousin told ABC-7 he lived in a home with his father. The deceased man was taking care of his sick dad.

A spokeswoman for EPSO says foul play is not suspected and they are not actively searching for a suspect. Detectives are waiting for pending autopsy results.