Southwest
Man suspected of killing his wife later found hanging from a tree in Texas
The prime suspect in a Houston-area murder case was found dead by law enforcement officials on Friday.
Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found in the town of Needville after deputies from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a person seen hanging.
Romero was suspected in the stabbing death of his wife, 23-year-old Anyi Tatiana Montealegre Izquierdo, on Oct. 14 in the couple’s home in nearby Richmond. The location Romero was found is about two miles from where he was believed to last be seen alive, deputies said.
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Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found dead four days after his wife was murdered. Romero was the prime suspect in her death, police say. (Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office)
He was identified based on clothing, tattoos and a passport that was found. Investigators said that Romero’s clothes he was wearing when last spotted alive on surveillance footage from Oct. 14 matched what was on his body.
“While a thorough investigation is underway to ensure all protocols are followed, this appears to be a suicide,” said Sheriff Eric Fagan, according to Fox 26 in Houston. “Our deepest condolences go out to all families affected by this tragedy.”
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a man hanging from a tree, and they found Romero. (iStock)
While the manhunt ensued, Izquierdo’s family told KHOU that Romero grew up and spent his entire life in a jungle in Colombia and probably knew survival skills to stay on the run in rural areas like the one southwest of the greater Houston area.
The family was worried Romero would hurt someone else if he wasn’t captured.
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Cousins of Izquierdo said they often had to intervene when Izquierdo and Romero fought constantly after they moved to the U.S. They added that Romero tried to kill her when they lived in Colombia.
They said Izquierdo moved to the U.S. with Romero so they could raise money for their family and child left behind in Colombia.
Colombian Consulate General Andres Diaz told Fox 26 that he wishes things turned out differently.
A guru on crime statistics believes progressive journalists and pundits have mislead Americans by insisting crime is down under the Biden-Harris administration. (iStock)
“I regret to hear the news of Romero’s death, like I would any Colombian native. However, I would have liked him to turn himself over to the authorities and face the law,” Diaz said.
Izquierdo’s family said they wished for her body to be repatriated to Colombia. Diaz said that could take several weeks as the case remains under investigation.
“We take them step by step the process it’s not a short process, unfortunately. It will probably take 4–6 weeks to repatriate the body,” Diaz said.
In addition to helping repatriate Izquierdo’s body, the consulate is also paying for funeral services.
“Unfortunately this American dream ended really bad for this girl, and we are very apologetic,” Diaz said.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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