Selbyville, Delaware – State police arrested a Selbyville man after a 71-year-old woman was found dead behind a home early Tuesday.
According to the Delaware State Police, troopers responded at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to a residence in the 37000 block of Pinto Drive after a concerning phone call involving a family member. When troopers arrived, they learned the woman had been missing and last seen inside the home around 9 p.m. Monday.
While officers were investigating, family members discovered the woman deceased in a ditch behind the residence. Emergency medical responders confirmed her death at the scene.
Investigators allege that Jesus Palacio-Hernandez, 28, was involved in an overnight altercation with the victim inside the residence. Police say Palacio-Hernandez allegedly assaulted the woman and later moved her body to the ditch behind the property.
Palacio-Hernandez was later located during a traffic stop in Selbyville and taken into custody without incident. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit assumed the investigation due to the nature of the case.
He was transported to Troop 4, where he was charged with Murder in the First Degree. Palacio-Hernandez was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $1 million cash bond.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the incident.
This case may be of particular relevance to local residents and families, highlighting the role of early reporting and intervention in domestic-related incidents.
Anyone affected by violent crime can contact the Delaware Victim Center for confidential support at 1-800-VICTIM (1-800-842-8461) or by email at DSP.VictimServicesMail@delaware.gov.
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