Police confirm finding vehicle of slain driver
Yuma police have confirmed that the taxi cab officers located on Tuesday is the missing taxi that murdered cab driver Guillermo Sotelo was driving the last time he was seen alive.
According to spokesperson Sgt. Lori Franklin, the taxi, which had a flat tire, was found at approximately 7:12 p.m. in an alley near 28th Street and Avenue A.
“We located the taxi, secured the scene, and contacted the Somerton Police Department, which sent an officer to the scene to process it for any evidence,” Franklin said.
“We had no involvement past that.”
On Tuesday, July 31 at approximately 6:39 p.m., officers from the Somerton Police Department were called to the area of Highway 95 at Milepost 16 in response to a report of a dead person.
Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male lying a short distance off the roadway in the desert area who had suffered at least one gunshot wound. The man, later identified as Sotelo, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Somerton police detectives were summoned to the scene and assumed the investigation.
Sotelo, 55, of San Luis Mexico, was reported missing early Monday morning, July 30 to Yuma Police Department.
A driver for Crazy 8’s Taxi Company, Sotelo and was last believed to be en route to Somerton to pickup a passenger. He was driving a turquoise color, 2001 Honda, Odyssey, Arizona license #BZT-8406, with a “4 aces” logo on both front doors.
At this time, the motive for the shooting is unknown and investigators have not identified a suspect.
Detectives believe there are individuals out there with information that can help solve the case.
They are asking for those individuals to come forward, and for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect(s) responsible for the shooting.
Anyone who has any information that might help detectives solve this case is asked to please contact Somerton Police at (928) 722-7300, or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 5396854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.