EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the shooting death of a 21-year-old woman at her home on New Year’s Eve. An 18-year-old man is a suspect.
Someone called 911 about 12:40 p.m. Monday after finding Laura Aceves lying in a pool of blood at her apartment at 15096 U.S. 62 West in Eureka Springs. An ambulance took Aceves to a hospital in Rogers but doctors couldn’t save her.
Rogers police told Carroll County deputies that it appeared Aceves was shot in the head and a metal object “was lodged in the victim’s head,” according to a news release from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. Rogers police suspected a small caliber weapon, such as a .22-caliber pistol, fired the shot.
Carroll County deputies got a search warrant and searched Aceves’ apartment. They found a .22-caliber bullet.
The investigation pointed to Victor Hugo Acuna-Sanchez, 18, as a suspect. Officers arrested him at his home at 5820 U.S. 62 West in Berryville. Officers say he was hiding in the shower and they saw a .22-caliber handgun on the floor of the shower. Officers got a search warrant for Acuna-Sanchez’ home and seized the gun.
Aceves’ body is at the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The handgun is being tested to see if it fired a shot that killed Aceves. Acuna-Sanchez was not charged, as of Wednesday afternoon, for the murder. He's being held on charges of criminal mischief and violating a judge's order to have no contact with Aceves.
