Guilty Plea In 1991 Fatal Stabbing Of Falls Church Woman: Descano

Fairfax County, VA — Jose Larazo Cruz, 60, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for stabbing and killing his estranged wife, Ana Jurado, outside her Falls Church home in 1991, according to a release from Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.

“When Jose Larazo Cruz killed Ana Jurado, he left behind three young children and a devastated community,” Descano said. “It’s been over 30 years since that dark day, but Fairfax County has never forgotten her or her family, and we remain committed to the pursuit of justice for all victims of violent crimes.”

On April 30, 1991, Larazo Cruz killed Ana Jurado outside of her home in the 6000 block of Gouthier Road in Falls Church, because he believed that she was having an affair with another man, prosecutors said in court. Following an argument, Larazo Cruz cut her neck with a knife and then left her in the street to die.

Related: Murder Charge Filed In 1991 Stabbing Death Of West Falls Church Woman

Although detectives identified Larazo Cruz as a suspect in 1991, he fled the country before he could be arrested. He ended up in El Salvador, which did not have a mechanism to legally extradite him at that time. Cruz ended up living in El Salvador for 32 years, working as a truck driver. He even started a second family.

In 2022, Larazo Cruz was finally arrested as he crossed the border from El Salvador into Costa Rica. He was extradited to the U.S. from Costa Rica on Jan. 18, 2024.

During a Jan. 22, 2024 news conference, FCPD Chief Kevin Davis announced Larazo Cruz's arrest and that he was being held in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on a second-degree murder charge.

Larazo Cruz is due back in court on Nov. 7 for sentencing. He faces a potential penalty of 40 years in prison on the second-degree murder conviction.