Murder suspect arrested in Caldwell County

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The quiet of Thanksgiving weekend was rattled for some rural Caldwell County residents on Friday, when the lead suspect in a multiple homicide investigation in Williamson County was the object of a multi-jurisdictional manhunt.
Jose Hernandez Benitez, 24, was arrested at a relative’s home in the St. John Colo

ny area on Friday afternoon, charged as the lead suspect in an altercation that left two dead and three more injured in the Weir community in Williamson County on Thanksgiving night.
According to authorities, Benitez had a romantic interest in one of the victims, Yazmin Corona. Corona, along with another acquaintance, Omar Ruiz, were found dead on Thursday evening at a mobile home in Weir, allegedly after the resident of the home hosted a party after Thanksgiving. Three other victims were treated at local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, sources said.
Caldwell County law enforcement was not directly involved in the arrest, but worked in cooperation with Williamson County Sheriffs, and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s SWAT and helicopter teams to locate and apprehend Benitez, who investigators tracked to the Caldwell County home.
He was arrested on Friday without further violence, sources said.
After being booked into Caldwell County Jail on Friday afternoon, Benitez was remanded to the custody of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, and has been charged with two counts of capital murder, and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $1 million by a Williamson County magistrate.
If indicted and convicted of the murder charges, Benitez could potentially face the death penalty, or life in prison.
If you are concerned about illegal activity in your area, contact the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office at (512) 398-6777 or the Lockhart Police Department at (512) 398-4401. If witness a crime or need emergency help, dial 9-1-1.