On a late summer morning in unincorporated El Paso County, a three-vehicle accident near the intersection of Highway 24 and Blue Gill Drive unfolded into a homicide investigation. On August 26, 2025, at approximately 8:10 AM, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office received a report of the collision. The person who called in the incident indicated that a passenger in a white pickup truck that was towing a black trailer appeared to be seriously injured or deceased. Upon their arrival, deputies discovered 29-year-old Noel Gutierrez-Cano, a male, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the pickup truck in which Gutierrez-Cano was a passenger had fled the scene following the crash, prompting an extensive investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. An examination by the coroner's office revealed that Gutierrez-Cano had sustained at least one gunshot wound. His death was officially investigated as a homicide. Authorities appealed to the public for assistance, asking for any dashcam or security footage from the area and any information about a white 2013 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck with a black trailer.
The investigation led detectives to identify 26-year-old Jose Cruz Diaz Vazquez as a person of interest. A crucial piece of evidence came from a traffic stop that occurred shortly after the accident on a nearby road for an illegal turn. Although the driver did not have a license, registration, or insurance, and both occupants left on foot, the deputy's body-worn camera captured a clear image of the passenger. Tips from Crime Stoppers and community-provided video footage connected this traffic stop to the homicide. Diaz Vazquez was later arrested in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on an unrelated warrant on September 3, 2025. El Paso County detectives traveled to New Mexico to interview him, and based on the evidence gathered, he was charged with second-degree murder for the death of Noel Gutierrez-Cano. Diaz Vazquez was held in New Mexico on a fugitive from justice hold and awaited extradition to El Paso County.
