TUCSON, Ariz. — A Pima County jury has convicted an Arizona man of kidnapping and murdering his 17-year-old cousin in 2020.
Gerardo Barraza-Salinas was found guilty this week of killing and dismembering Sofia Hurtado, according to the Pima County Attorney's Office.
Back in March 2020, Tucson police responded to Barraza-Salinas' home where the defendant claimed his teenage relative had gone missing while she was visiting his family. Once inside the defendant's home, officers noticed spots of dry blood and later found what appeared to be bloody clothing in a nearby dumpster.
According to Tucson police, Sofia sent a friend in Mexico a message on March 18 asking for help because she did not feel safe.
Sofia's remains were eventually recovered from multiple burial sites around Pima County.
During the defendant's trial, the jury determined that his actions were especially "heinous" and "depraved."
Barraza-Salinas will be sentenced on June 24.
UP TO SPEED
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
