EL PASO, Texas — An El Paso woman is facing a murder charge after police said she admitted shooting the father of her child and leaving him inside a parked car, where his body remained for several days before officers discovered it.
Erica Michelle Yarbrough, 35, was arrested after homicide detectives linked her to the death of 38-year-old Stephen Matthew Delgado through surveillance video, license-plate reader records and other evidence gathered during the investigation, according to a criminal complaint affidavit reported by the El Paso Times.
Police found Delgado’s body on Aug. 5 inside a black 2019 Nissan Sentra parked behind a PetSmart in the 3700 block of Joe Battle Boulevard near Montana Avenue.
Officers had responded to a 911 call about an unknown problem. Investigators found spent shell casings and unfired ammunition inside the vehicle and began treating the death as suspicious.
An autopsy later determined Delgado died from gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators believe the shooting took place on the evening of Aug. 2.
According to the affidavit, surveillance footage from a nearby home showed a small two-door pickup truck arriving behind the store before Delgado’s car pulled into the area. The vehicles parked next to each other, and the video later captured what police believed to be gunfire.
The pickup then left the parking lot within seconds.
Detectives used license-plate reader data to identify the truck. Investigators said the vehicle was registered to a man who shared Yarbrough’s last name, while additional records allegedly showed Yarbrough driving it and connected the vehicle to her apartment complex.
Police later conducted surveillance at the complex and located the pickup.
Yarbrough was subsequently taken into custody.
During questioning, Yarbrough allegedly told detectives that she met Delgado, used drugs with him, shot him and left the scene before getting rid of the firearm, according to the affidavit.
The court document did not indicate whether investigators have recovered the gun.
Members of Delgado’s family told detectives that Delgado and Yarbrough shared a child.
Investigators also cited an earlier encounter between Yarbrough and police in June. During that incident, she reportedly told officers she owned a handgun but declined to reveal where it was kept. Detectives referenced the encounter as evidence that she had access to a firearm.
Yarbrough was booked into the El Paso County Jail on Aug. 8.
Her bond was set at $350,000, and she remained jailed as of Aug. 10, according to records reviewed by the El Paso Times.
No attorney was listed for Yarbrough in the court records reviewed by the newspaper.
The murder case remains pending, and the allegations against Yarbrough have not been proven in court.
