A routine traffic stop in Odessa led to the arrest of a man who later confessed to killing a woman and dumping her body in neighboring Mitchell County, according to the Ector County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies conducted the stop about 8:47 a.m. March 6 in the 3050 block of West Second Street after observing the driver fail to signal the required distance before turning and displaying a license plate registered to a different owner, authorities said.
The driver was identified as Usbaldo Hernandez Carrasco. Deputies arrested him for driving while license invalid.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, deputies observed dried blood and a bullet hole in the front passenger-side seat. Carrasco was transported to the sheriff’s office for questioning.
Investigators said Carrasco admitted that on March 5 he fired a gun toward the front passenger seat of the vehicle, striking a female occupant identified as Maria Ramirez. He told investigators that after the initial shot, he reached around the seat and fired another round, striking the victim on the right side of the head.
Carrasco told investigators the victim was wearing black shorts and white shoes at the time of the shooting.
According to authorities, Carrasco said he drove a Chevrolet Tahoe with the victim’s body still inside to County Road 280 in Mitchell County, where he disposed of the body under a small bridge before returning to Odessa. He also stated that he discarded the firearm in the 2800 block of Falomir Avenue.
The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office later located the body of an adult female matching the clothing description provided.
Carrasco has been charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.
