Las Vegas Review-Journal

LV fugitive put on FBI wanted list

Metro ‘taking it now to the next level’ on woman’s ’08 killing

- By Briana Erickson, Las Vegas Review-journal

Dysabel Munguía touched her face above her glasses Monday morning, tears in her eyes. She remembered the night of July 1, 2008, when she heard her parents arguing at their home in Las Vegas. Later, her mom, Sherryl Sacueza, lay next to her in bed, telling her to try to stay awake.

But the young girl couldn’t help herself, and she fell asleep.

“When I woke up, I couldn’t find my mom,” recalled Munguía, now

21.

Sacueza had been killed by her husband, Jesús Roberto Munguía, police said. He has been on the run ever since.

On Monday, the FBI announced that it is adding Munguía to its list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and offering a reward of up to $100,000 for informatio­n leading to his arrest. Police say Sacueza was forced into her vehicle that night nine years ago and taken away by Munguía, according to an FBI press release.

‘No family deserves (this)’

Her body was found by her sister around noon the next day, in the back seat of her vehicle parked in the driveway. Her hands had been

bound, and there were numerous ligatures around her neck, including a piece of rope, a sweatshirt and jumper cables, and numerous blunt

WANTED

force injuries to her face and head, officials said.

“No child deserves to go through what our father made us go through,” Dysabel Munguía, one of Sacueza’s four children, said. “Although we’re not a complete family without her, we still have her in our hearts. The hardest thing about it is not being able to see my mom and knowing that he’s still out there.”

Aaron Rouse, FBI special agent in charge of the bureau’s FBI office, said the family, which now lives in California, needs closure, and no piece of informatio­n should be considered irrelevant.

“He may be armed and is considered dangerous,” he warned. “Over nine years, the four children have been taken from their mother.”

Munguía also had ties to Los Angeles and Bakersfiel­d, California. An American citizen, he also has familial ties in Mexico. He is a known member of TEPA 13, a gang that formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and he continues to have connection­s to the gang and its activities, the FBI said.

Metropolit­an Police Department Assistant Sheriff Tom Roberts said justice is overdue for Sacueza’s killer.

“We are committed to bringing the subject to justice,” he said. “We’re taking it now to the next level.”

Since the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was establishe­d in March 1950, Munguía is the 517th person to be placed on it. He is the sixth sought by the FBI’S Las Vegas field office.

Mother’s plea

Sacueza’s mother, Noema Gonzalez, said the years of knowing her daughter’s killer hasn’t been caught have been hard on her.

“The passing of my daughter is a moment I can never move on,” she said. “My big nightmare will never be over.”

Gonzalez said that the last time she talked to her daughter, earlier on the day she was killed, she wanted to separate from her husband.

“I told my daughter never to talk to him by herself, because he will kill her,” she said.

She then spoke directly to Munguía, saying, “Murderer, look what you did to us!”

Gonzalez begged for anyone with knowledge of his whereabout­s to contact authoritie­s, saying her grandchild­ren have not been able to live like they did before the murder.

“People, give us a peace of mind,” she said. “Give justice to my poor daughter.”

Anyone with informatio­n on Munguía is encouraged to call 800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324). Tips can also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi. gov.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjour­nal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @brianareri­ck on Twitter.

 ?? Bizuayehu Tesfaye ?? Las Vegas Review-journal @bizutesfay­e Noema Gonzalez, mother of murder victim Sherryl Sacueza, right, hugs granddaugh­ter Dysabel Munguía, 21, at a news conference Monday at which the FBI announced the addition of Jesús Roberto Munguía to its Ten Most...
Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-journal @bizutesfay­e Noema Gonzalez, mother of murder victim Sherryl Sacueza, right, hugs granddaugh­ter Dysabel Munguía, 21, at a news conference Monday at which the FBI announced the addition of Jesús Roberto Munguía to its Ten Most...
 ?? Bizuayehu Tesfaye ?? Las Vegas Review-journal @bizutesfay­e Aaron Rouse, FBI special agent in charge for Nevada, speaks Monday at a news conference at which the agency announced the addition of Jesús Roberto Munguía to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-journal @bizutesfay­e Aaron Rouse, FBI special agent in charge for Nevada, speaks Monday at a news conference at which the agency announced the addition of Jesús Roberto Munguía to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States