Borderland Crimes

Dante Santoni was brutally murdered, days after celebrating his third birthday. He, his mother Connie Villa, 28, along with Villa's longtime partner and Dante's father, Francisco Santoni, 59, were found stabbed to death on Aug. 11, 1994 in their east El Paso home.

But it wasn't until 2022 when El Paso police announced they had arrested a suspect responsible for this heinous act. Arturo Ortega Garcia was extradited from Mexico and has been in the El Paso County Jail awaiting trial ever since.

Villa's surviving siblings talk about their 30-year-long wait for a trial, during which they hope to learn why their sister and nephew were killed.

To see photos of Connie, Dante and Francisco, visit the website.

UPDATE (09/26/24): The judge set Ortega Garcia's case for trial on March 3, 2025. Read the update on the KVIA website.

Michelle Grady is one of the dozens of people who was shot on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, at a Walmart superstore in El Paso, Texas. She survived, but 23 people were killed. The shooter is facing nearly 100 charges, including federal hate crime charges, accused of targeting Hispanics. This is a story of survival and recovery in the year since the Cielo Vista Walmart massacre.

An El Paso woman learned a horrible secret about her family: her great-grandfather had been massacred, along with 14 other men and boys, on Jan. 28, 1918. When Arlinda Valencia learned who was to blame for the terrible act, she realized more needed to be done to expose the dark past of a legendary law enforcement agency, the Texas Rangers.

Learn more about the massacre: https://www.porvenirmassacre.org/

Sophia Martinez, 18, headed out to a blind date on Friday, March 10, 2000. But she never made it to the dance club in downtown El Paso. Sophia’s body was found in the desert just north of the city limits the following day; she had been shot numerous times. The only clue to what happened was a grainy ATM surveillance video showing someone shooting her while she pulled cash. The man in a black beanie then climbed into her car and forced her to drive off at gunpoint. The months that followed were a terrifying time for her family as well as the community, as the killer remained at large. Police managed to track down her killer when a witness could no longer keep the dark secret.

Janet Balderrama, 25, was critically wounded in a crash caused by a drunk driver, according to El Paso police. She died on July 15, 2013, leaving behind two children. The woman accused of intoxication manslaughter, Desiree Skaf, 21, eventually accepted a plea deal to serve 7 years in a state prison. A chaotic showdown in the courtroom the day of sentencing led to the judge sending Skaf away for 15 years. Skaf only served three weeks behind bars before she was granted a new trial and released from prison on bond. But while waiting for the new trial, Skaf fled. Many believe she's spent the last eight years evading justice outside the U.S. Janet's mother and best friend both wonder if they will ever receive justice.