MARIETTA, GA – An investigator with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office received recognition during a Cobb County Law Enforcement Association luncheon on June 6, for tracking and apprehending a wanted murder suspect. 

On April 25, Yuridiana Villalobos was shot inside her Mableton home by her boyfriend, Hugho Pacheco.  

“The Cobb County Police Department swiftly identified Hugho Pacheco as a suspect and initiated their search for him within the county,” said Col. Eric Yeager, Commander of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. “When all local leads were exhausted, the Sheriff’s Office CID was tasked with locating Pacheco, and Investigator Griffith was assigned the case.”

Griffith stated that he spoke with witnesses and the victim’s family to determine Pacheco’s last known location in Cameron, Texas and then contacted the Cameron County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers to alert them of Pacheco's movements. 

Together, a Be on the Lookout report on Pacheco was issued and agencies like Border Patrol and the Texas National Guard were notified. 

“Investigator Griffith and Detective Thomas Case of Cobb County Police Department worked together tirelessly to locate Pacheco before he could attempt to cross the border into Mexico,” said Yeager. “When Detective Case received a crucial tip regarding Pacheco's possible location in Texas, he immediately relayed the information to Griffith, who then reached out to the US Marshals Office Task Force for assistance.”

Pacheco was apprehended without incident in Alamo, Texas, by the US Marshals Task Force before attempting to cross the border into Mexico. He is currently detained at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center while awaiting trial.

“This is an excellent example of what it looks like when law enforcement agencies work together to pursue justice,” said Sheriff Craig Owens of Cobb County. “I’d like to thank the Cobb County Law Enforcement Association for recognizing Investigator Griffith and all the law enforcement professionals who helped capture Pacheco before he crossed the border. A murder suspect was located due to the collaboration of all the involved agencies.” 

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About the Cobb County Sheriff's Office: The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office is a law enforcement agency that executes a broad range of services which include but are not limited to Jail Operations, Court Security, Criminal Warrant Execution, Civil Process Service, Mental Health Transports, Forgery/Fraud Investigation, and Fugitive Investigation and Apprehension. Sheriff Craig Owens took over the office on Jan. 1, 2021, and leads a staff of more than 800 deputies and civilians. Under his leadership, the Sheriff’s Office has the most diverse command staff in its nearly 200-year history and is on the path to becoming the best law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia. To learn more about the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, visit https://www.cobbsheriff.org/. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Download the Cobb County Sheriff's Office App!