Man sentenced to 35 years in prison for 2022 murder in Socorro

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a deadly shooting in a case that had been pending for more than four years. The 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday Carlos Sifuentes was 18 years old at the time of the shooting in 2022.

The district attorney's office said Sifuentes pleaded guilty for shooting and killing 43-year-old Jade Ruiz in her Socorro home on Feb. 2022.

Evidence showed Sifuentes planned to rob Ruiz' son and was interrupted when she came to the back door of her home. He shot her once, the district attorney's office said.

"Jade Ruiz’s family has waited years for justice. We are grateful to the prosecutors and
investigators who stayed with this case until it was resolved,” District Attorney James Montoya
said. “This conviction reflects our Office’s continued commitment to holding violent offenders
accountable, no matter how long it takes."

The district attorney's office said the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit investigated the case.