El Paso police charge man with murder after finding body in plastic bag

UPDATE (Aug. 20, 2026): According to police, officers found 59-year-old David Edward De Coste's body wrapped inside a plastic bag in the home on Villa Hermosa Drive.

Officers secured the area of the home and asked for additional assistance, prompting SWAT and the Crisis Management Team to arrive.

Later, 29-year-old John Michael De Coste and 28-year-old Idalia De La Torre exited the home, police said.

After Crimes Against Persons continued the investigation, police charged De Coste with murder and tampering or fabricating evidence. They also charged De La Torre with tampering or fabricating evidence.

Both booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility. De Coste was booked without bond, while De La Torre was booked with a $150,000 bond.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A man and a woman were detained at a West El Paso home following a SWAT response Tuesday afternoon after a body was found by officers.

According to police, officers originally responded to a call just after 3 p.m. to the 6800 block of Villa Hermosa Drive for an "unknown problem."

A police spokesperson said those officers found a dead person and two other inside the home, a man and a woman in their late 20s.

The pair barricaded themselves inside the home, and that's when police say they then called SWAT and the crisis management team for assistance.

Both people were detained before 8 p.m. after a standoff, and the crimes against persons unit is now investigating.

The man and woman have not yet been identified by police. They also have not been charged with any crimes.