Man accused of killing ex, texting her photo to rival
A San Jose man will appear in court next week on charges that he stabbed and shot his ex-girlfriend to death and then texted a photo of the corpse to her boyfriend, telling him, “It’s too late.”
After fleeing to Mexico nearly three years ago, Julio Pliego, 46, was returned to U.S. authorities Tuesday following nine months of extradition proceedings, according to the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office.
He was arraigned Wednesday on a felony count of murder and an allegation of torture in the death of Veronica Lozano, a 35year-old hairstylist and mother of four. Pliego is scheduled to enter his plea Tuesday.
“If the defendant thought he was going to live happily ever after in Mexico after committing a savage and senseless crime, then the FBI and these charges have proved him wrong,” said Santa Clara County Deputy Dist. Atty. Katrina Ohde. “We look forward to holding him fully accountable for the murder of Veronica Lozano.”
Pliego fled to Mexico on May 15, 2013, hours after Lozano’s body was found in a rented room at the San Jose Holiday Inn Express, prosecutors said.
That same day, Lozano’s boyfriend attempted to contact her by cellphone. Prosecutors said he received a “chilling response.”
Pliego answered the call and said he planned to send the boyfriend photographs of what he had done to Lozano.
Lozano’s boyfriend begged Pliego not to hurt her.
Pliego responded by texting him a photo of Lozano, who was naked and bloody, prosecutors said. Ohde said Pliego sent at least one photograph to Lozano’s boyfriend. Lozano was probably deceased in the photo.
Lozano’s boyfriend pleaded with Pliego to take her to a hospital. But, prosecutors said, Pliego told him “it’s too late.”
A hotel employee found the woman’s body two hours later. Lozano had been stabbed 40 times and shot in the head at close range, prosecutors said.
At the time, Lozano’s children were between the ages of 5 and 17. She had dated Pliego for about six months, Ohde said. They had been broken up for two months when she was slain.
FBI investigators tracked Pliego to an area near Mexico City in July 2015. If convicted of the murder charge, he faces life in prison, prosecutors said.