TX TX - Lucero Sarabia, 21, pregnant, San Antonio, 26 Nov 2004

[georgiajean]

The 15th anniversary of Lucero's disappearance has arrived. What happened to her?

This audio podcast (an interview with Anthony who does the crime blog Crime Blogger 1983 Here is his blog for Lucero: Missing Princess- Where is Lucero Sarabia? ) has information not shared in news articles or on the family's missing page. Podcast link here: Lucero Sarabia: Princess In Peril | Free Podcasts | Podomatic" Interview done Oct. 2019.

A few details from this podcast, which is an interview with someone who has worked closely with the family. Lots more in the nearly two hours.

• Lucero crossed paths with her estranged husband (J.R.) at the party. That wasn't a problem, they got along just find. They have mutual friends. Both she and her husband were seeing other people. They co-parented, didn't fight over kids.
• The paternity of her unborn baby was unknown at the time (she was 8 months pregnant).
• Family/friends said she had mentioned the name Larry Lujan as the father of her unborn child.
• L.L. and Lucero were both separated from spouses with other children, and involved with each other.
• Lucero was attending school, was not working at the time.
• Lucero lived a clean life, but had a lot of friends involved in drug scene.
• Mom describes her as naive, believing in the best in people, even if it wasn't there.
• The party (hosted by a friend) was 6 miles away, she arrived about 6:30 pm, dropped off by mom.
• Sister Amanda was there, left soon after Lucero arrived.
• Estranged husband left soon after she arrived.
• She "hit it off" with R.C--at the party. They knew of each other, were acquaintances.
• Timeline of evening at party is hard to pin down.
• RC and Lucero left the party to get cigarettes, and then returned to the party. (Someone arrived at party who Lucero didn't want to be around, so they left to avoid the confrontation).
• Drugs, drinking, and jealousy factored into party.
• After they returned from "cigarette run" a woman was unhappy of how close Lucero was to her bf (they walked out from a hallway in close proximity).
• This girl got into fight with Lucero. RC helped break it up.
• Lucero got popped in the nose. May have had a bloody nose.
• RC and Lucero left after the fight.
• RC took her to his apartment.
• Lucero talked to family about 1:30 am, she was on porch at RC's apartment, said she would get a ride home from RC.
• Thought is she was trying to get cleaned up, blood from fight.
• RC says she walked home, it was 1-2 miles home. RC said she was mad when she left. RC claimed he was too high to drive.
• Lucero's blood was found in RC's apartment, small amounts on carpet and in bathroom.
• Hand print on wall. RC says he was trying to help her clean up, she got mad and pushed him away, that's where the hand print came from.
• RC moved to Chicago soon after the incident. Packed up over the weekend after the incident and left. RC has family in Chicago.
• Speculation about Lucero leaving and returning to the party again.
• Police talked to RC. He didn't want to take polygraph test.
• Two unconfirmed sightings, one close to the apartment, one 9 miles away.
• RC had traffic related warrants in 2004, no violence.
• Since her disappearance, RC has had violent offenses.
• RC Arrested 2006 for criminal mischief in Chicago (busted police window, was carrying gun).
• Having multiple detectives on the case over 15 years has impacted the case.
• RC Now living in Indianapolis.
• J.R (estranged husband)-- Police did speak with him. He did pass polygraph test, and did have an alibi. J.R. has been locked up for drugs, will be away for a while. Had extensive criminal record before and since Lucero's disappearance. No domestic abuse during marriage.
• Lucero called J.R. to get a ride home. He refused.
• Lucero's phone called L.L. (thought to be father of her unborn child) a four times around 6:30 am presumably to get a ride. 1 min. calls.
• L.L and J.R. knew each other, were close.
• Who is L.L? Serving life term for crime in 2005. He was involved in drug scene of San Antonio, mostly weed. Not long after Princess disappeared, he broke into the house of a 16 year old, beat him up for hours. The teen was selling in the same area, L.L. didn't like that. Very badly beaten over a 36 hour period, drove him to Mexico and killed him.
• In 1998, L.L. murdered a couple in Mexico, set their bodies on fire.

 

[CentralTxCrime]

The above summary was very helpful. This case ran across my feed last night and I have been researching it a bit. The crimes mentioned as having taken place in Mexico above were actually in New Mexico.

In that research, I found out that Larry Joe Lujan had already murdered two people in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1998, and his DNA from a bloody rag at the scene was matched to him after his 2005 arrest. He also has a long list other bullying and violent acts:

Larry Joe Lujo’s (DOB 6/26/1978) Known victims:

1/26/1996 - Juan G (survived) - stabbed three times with a knife at Santa Teresa High School in Santa Teresa, New Mexico - wasn’t charged.

12/9/1998 - Juana Olmeda (45) and Alfredo Gonzales (47) - Murdered in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A bloody rag at the scene connected Lujo to this murder via DNA in 2005.

7/4/2004 - Unnamed Victim (survived) - Lujan charged with assault with bodily injury.

2/2005 - Robert "Teddy" O. (survived) - beaten and threatened with a knife at an apartment complex in San Antonio, Texas.

3/7/2005 - 3/15/2005 - Dana Joe Grauke (16) - beaten, kidnapped from his home in San Antonio, TX, and ultimately murdered by Lujan and two associates in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

11/8/2005 - fellow inmate Michael H (survived) - threatened that he would be cornered in the shower and that Lujan and another inmate would “stick” him and “slit his throat,” A razor was subsequently found in Lujan’s possession.

2/11/2006 - Fellow inmate Nibardo P (survived) - physically assaulted.

5/8/2006 - Fellow inmate Jose T (survived)- physically assaulted.

9/14/2006 - Fellow inmate Eddie H (survived) - attacked with a soap filled sock and fists.

8/3/2007 - Fellow inmate Miguel G (survived) - beaten by Lujan and another man.

The source for most of these is U.S. v. Lujan, NO. CR 05-0924 RB | Casetext Search + Citator

The July 2004 assault was found in a criminal record search.

Anthony Chabes Jr does have a few assaults on his record and a no-contact order. Previous to her disappearance, his most violent recorded actions I can find are resisting arrest which at one point involved kicking out the back window of a cop car. Then in 2014 and 2016 he was arrested for assault and battery. Most of his arrests seem to involve being intoxicated and driving badly and not having a license. The most concerning of these was a DUI arrest in which he had a passenger under the age of 18.

He had warrants in Indiana when he left San Antonio and returned to Indiana.

His addresses in the court records have been in the following cities in Indiana: Hammond, East Chicago, Merrillville, Lake Station, and most consistently, Hobart.

Indiana court records indicate he filed for divorce in 2019 from an address back in San Antonio. Texas.