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72 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 11, 2005 Detectives think homicide suspect has fled to Mexico By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Jackson County detectives have seized a vehicle in California believed to have been used by a homicide suspect to flee Southern Oregon. However, the whereabouts of its owner, Jose Perez-Silva, remain unknown. Police say the Phoenix man, suspected of killing 32-year-old Ana Meraz on May 3 on Interstate 5 near Ashland, may have left the United States in his week-long flight from authorities. "We believe (Perez-Silva) is hiding out-of-state," Oregon State Police Capt. Kurt Barthel said. "He was in California, but he could be in Mexico by now. ... It’s time for us to redouble our efforts to find him and hope somebody helps us out." Armed with an arrest warrant, detectives from the Jackson County Major Crime Team traveled Friday to central California in search of Perez-Silva, 29. Investigators returned without the suspect, but did recover his green 1985 Nissan Pathfinder during the trip, Barthel said. Police believe Perez-Silva drove to California in the Pathfinder after slaying Meraz, a former girlfriend. A motorist might have unknowingly helped Perez-Silva flee the area by giving him a ride to his Fern Valley Road home after the killing, police said. Advertisement Barthel declined to reveal the exact cause and manner of Meraz’s death. Meraz, 32, called 9-1-1 at about 6 a.m. on May 3 to say she needed urgent medical attention. An unidentified man took the phone to say he stopped to assist Meraz after seeing her vehicle weaving in traffic. Police do not know if that man was Perez-Silva. OSP troopers and medics located Meraz’s bleeding body lying beside her idling Chrysler Sebring convertible on the freeway’s southbound shoulder near milepost 11. She died moments later, police said. Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Perez-Silva. Anyone wishing to provide information about the suspect’s location can call 800-3-DETECT. Callers can remain anonymous. People with information about the case are also asked to phone OSP at 776-6111. Reach reporter Jack Moranat 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s