Police arrest man suspected of killing former KLAQ DJ
Police identified the man suspected of killing a former KLAQ DJ as 31-year-old Leonel Hernandez.
Hernandez, of the 900 block of South Mesa Hills, is being held on a $1 million bond on murder charges.
Officers responded to a homicide on the 4100 block of Westside Sunday evening at the Terrace Hill Apartments. According to police, 33-year-old Richard Madrigal was found dead from a gunshot wound.
Investigators said Madrigal was discovered in his apartment after a friend stopped by to visit.
According to a court document obtained by ABC-7, a woman who witnessed the killing told police the name of the alleged shooter. Police located the suspect and he surrendered without incident.
A motive for the killing is not yet known.
A Facebook post by El Paso radio station KLAQ states Madrigal was a former DJ at the station.
ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom also spoke with employees at Bravo Mic Studios in Las Cruces, where Madrigal was a former radio DJ for 99.5 KXPZ from 2012-2013.
101 Gold Radio Host Jack Lutz said he was friends with Madrigal since they were 9-years-old.
“Shock, hysteria, fear, anger,” Lutz told ABC-7 on Monday. “And when all of that settled the dominate emotion that set in was love because that’s what you immediately felt when you were in his presence.”
Lutz said he always kept in touch with Madrigal, and even helped get him a job with Bravo Mic.
“I spoke to my boss I said we got to get him up here we got to bring him up here. It’ll mean so much to the station for him to work with us,” Lutz said. “And really all I wanted was to just hang out with my friend again, that’s all I really wanted.”
Lutz said Madrigal was sincere, passionate, giving and a great father. His passion led him to win best radio disk jockey of the year in 2013.
“He won best disk jockey of the year for What’s Up in El Paso,” Lutz said. “Now let that sink in. A Las Cruces disk jockey won El Paso’s best disk jockey of the year award. That’s how good he was.”
Lutz said Madrigal will be greatly missed by both the El Paso and Las Cruces community.
Sunday, Destination El Paso General Manager Bryan Crowe told ABC-7 Madrigal was the convention sales manager for Destination El Paso.
“Rick was a Sales Manager on our Convention and Meeting Development team at Visit El Paso and a promising and talented employee. Rick represented El Paso with a unique enthusiasm and energy that stemmed from the love and pride he had for his community,” Crowe said.
