Soledad Ortiz, a 44-year-old Latina woman from Asheboro, NC, was found dead on October 17, 2019. Her body was discovered on the side of Old Lexington Road near the Lake Lucas Bridge in Asheboro. Ortiz had multiple gunshot wounds, and the death was determined to be a homicide. The Randolph County Sheriff's Office received a call from a passerby at around 1:23 a.m., reporting a possible body on the side of the road.
Deputies arrived at the scene shortly after and found Ortiz's body in a grassy area about 10 feet from the pavement. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene, and Ortiz's fingerprints were used to identify her.
The investigation revealed that Ortiz had been in the company of two unidentified Latino males on the day preceding her death. Detectives determined that Ortiz was likely shot near where her body was found and shortly before being discovered. The shell casings recovered from the scene were processed and determined to have been fired from a Glock Generation 4 handgun. Ortiz's apartment was also searched for evidence, and fingerprints were recovered.
Juan Carlos Matomoros-Godoy, a 25-year-old Latino male from Middlesex, NC, was identified as a suspect in Ortiz's murder. Matomoros-Godoy had a previous charge of Assault on a Female in Nash County. Investigators were unable to locate him initially, but they eventually found and arrested him with the help of Nash County deputies. A gun connected to the shooting of Ortiz was found in Matomoros-Godoy's possession. He was charged with First-Degree Murder and Kidnapping in connection with Ortiz's death. Authorities are still searching for the other man seen with Matomoros-Godoy and Ortiz on the day of the murder.
The case has garnered significant attention, and the Randolph County Sheriff's Office has been actively seeking information from the public to aid in the investigation. The community has been urged to come forward with any information that could help identify and locate the second suspect. The investigation is ongoing, and the authorities are determined to bring justice to Soledad Ortiz and her family.
