In the early morning hours of June 6, 2024, a grim discovery was made in a canal near Avenue G and County 21st Street in San Luis, Arizona. A vehicle was found partially submerged in the water, and inside, the body of 29-year-old Eric Cruz of Yuma. The Yuma County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene at approximately 6:58 AM and immediately launched a homicide investigation. It was later revealed that Cruz had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the death of the male victim progressed over the following days. On June 10, 2024, with the assistance of the US Marshals and the Somerton Police Department, investigators located and arrested their first suspect. Brittney Garcia, a 30-year-old resident of Somerton, Arizona, was taken into custody and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on a charge of 1st Degree Murder.
The case continued to develop as the Yuma County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Bureau identified a second individual believed to be involved. On June 18, 2024, Fernando Malta, 34, also from Somerton, was arrested. He faced a multitude of felony charges, including 1st Degree Murder, Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person, Attempted Arson, Evidence Tampering, and Abandonment/Concealment of a Dead Body. Both suspects are being held as the investigation continues.
