Victim was shot, killed in rural area

By Alex Bridges -- Daily Staff Writer

BERRYVILLE — A Clarke County Circuit Court grand jury has indicted a man accused of killing another person in White Post in July.

The court recalled the grand jury on Monday, and the panel indicted Jose Maria Cuevas-Gonzalez, 53, on one count each of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of the felony and possession of a firearm by someone who is not a U.S. citizen.

Cuevas-Gonzalez also goes by Jose Huesos Gonzalez, Rogelio Cortez-Cortez, Jose Huesos Gonzaus, Jose M. Cuevas Gonzalez and Salvador Saldanna, the indictments state.

Cuevas-Gonzalez shot and killed Juan Francisco-Cortes, 22, of Charlotte, N.C., in a rural area on Nelson Road on July 9, according to authorities and the indictments. Authorities allege the suspect also shot and wounded 28-year-old Daniel Guerrero-Lopez before fleeing the scene.

Though the suspect remains at large, Commonwealth's Attorney Suzanne "Suni" Perka said the indictments give authorities "another tool" they can use in the investigation.

"Because we wanted to get an indictment issued, we recalled the grand jury ... to consider this one rather than wait until October," Perka said. "It just gives our investigators another tool to work with."

Authorities had an arrest warrant in relation to the attempted murder charge for the wounding, Perka said. Now they have the indictments and a warrant, issued by a Circuit Court judge, for the arrest of the suspect in the murder charge, she added.

"I think it enables the feds to engage some of their practices and assistance for us ... it's kind of a trigger for some things that will assist in trying to find this suspect," Perka said.

Investigators with the Clarke County Sheriff's Office are working with state and federal authorities, the prosecutor said.

The suspect's multiple aliases and unknown ties pose difficulties for investigators.

"Just looking at the indictment, you can count how many aliases our suspect had," Perka said.

Also, Cuevas-Gonzalez may have re-entered the country illegally, she added.

"It presents a little bit of a challenge," Perka said, adding that more aliases may mean other people know him by any one of those names.

Authorities have a possible motive for the shooting, but Perka said she didn't want to disclose that information until a trial is held on the homicide. She also noted that prosecutors don't have to have a motive to prove a murder happened.

"Our investigators with the Clarke County Sheriff's Office are vigorously working on this, and we are cautiously optimistic," the prosecutor said.

* Contact Alex Bridges at abridges@nvdaily.com