YAKIMA, Wash. – UPDATE Feb. 26 4:07 p.m.
The Yakima County Clerk’s Office provided NonStop Local with more information.
Court documents say crews were called to Ana Guzman’s home at 1:41 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 23 for a welfare check. One of Guzman’s coworkers had called 911 due to her not showing up to work.
Officers later arrived at 2:24 p.m., identifying 31-year-old Julio Guzman who was in a pickup truck in front of the home. He reportedly drove away when asked if he lived at the home.
Court documents say that Ana was found dead on the floor of the dining room with signs of a homicide.
Detectives spoke with Ana’s son and his wife after investigating her body who each had last spoken with her on Feb. 21. He reportedly tried calling her the next day and did not get an answer.
Julio was found by officers in the area of South Fourth Street and East Walnut Street later that afternoon at 4:20 p.m. He reportedly did not stop for police twice and was eventually stopped with spike strips and a PIT maneuver by officers.
Further in the investigation, video footage found a subject walking around the residence early in the morning of Feb. 22, according to court documents. This matched with the alarm at Ana’s home being disarmed at 5:23 a.m.
Julio would later speak with detectives on Feb. 24 following his detainment, with court documents alleging that he “strangled” Ana and “bashed” her head into the tile floor. He also alleged that he stabbed Ana once with black handled steak knife, despite detectives noting that she had more than one wound.
Court documents say that Ana previously requested a temporary protection order and was denied by the Yakima County Superior Court.
Julio is facing charges for second degree murder, eluding, obstruction, resisting arrest, harassment, deadly weapon, third degree malicious mischief and a burglary charge for a separate case from Thu., Feb. 22.
UPDATE Feb. 26
The victim of the homicide being investigated by Yakima Police has been identified.
Ana Guzman, a woman in her early seventies, died of “sharp force injuries to her chest,” according to Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice.
UPDATE Feb. 25
A suspect is now in custody in connection to an ongoing homicide investigation in Yakima.
Detectives found probable cause to arrest a 31-year-old man suspected of involvement in the death of a woman found in a home, according to the YPD.
The suspect, who is the son of the woman who was found dead on Feb 23, was reportedly arrested for a felony crime unrelated to the homicide and is currently in custody at the Yakima County Jail.
YPD have completed probable cause documents for the charges of 2nd degree murder.
ORIGINAL COVERAGE
According to a press release from the Yakima Police Department, on February 23 at approximately 2:30 p.m., officers responded to the residence of a woman on the 900 block of South Naches Avenue.
The resident had reportedly not been seen or heard from by family members for multiple days.
Officers entered the home and found the woman dead inside with apparent signs of trauma, according to the YPD.
Yakima Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit will be handling this ongoing homicide investigation.
Anyone with information related to this homicide are asked to contact Detective Lukas Hinton at: (509) 575-3509 or contact Crime Stoppers of Yakima County for anonymous tips at: 1-800-222-8477
This is a developing story, which means information could change. We are working to report timely and accurate information as we get it.
