On December 21, 2024, at approximately 11:36 PM, 23-year-old Jose Rufino Melendez was fatally shot in the parking lot of the North Mountain Village Apartments, located at 9435 Diana Drive in northeast El Paso, Texas. The incident occurred during a physical altercation between two groups. Melendez attempted to intervene and was shot. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons unit is leading the investigation into this homicide. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the suspect or suspects remain unidentified. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the El Paso Police Department at 915-832-4400 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-TIPS.
Melendez is survived by his father, Jose Rufino Melendez II; his mother, Rosie Betancourt; his brother, Robert Hernandez; and his sisters, Delilah Hernandez, Lana Rosales, and Rosie Marlyn Melendez. Visitation services are scheduled for Thursday, January 2, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with a funeral service at 7:00 PM, at Funeraria del Angel Restlawn Funeral Home, 8817 Dyer, El Paso, TX 79904.
