Documents: Callaway County homicide suspects could be in Indiana

Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of a man who was found dead in Callaway County.

Emily Ricketts was charged Jan. 9 and Ruben Cabrera on Jan. 11 in the Jan. 6 killing of Lauro Garza-Perez, Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson said Wednesday.

According to court documents, Ricketts was in the passenger seat of a dark grey Volkswagen Jetta with Garza-Perez on Jan. 6. The two were being followed by Cabrera, who was driving a red Chevrolet Corvette on Old Highway 40, a Callaway County Sheriff’s Office investigator wrote in a probable cause statement. Surveillance video showed that Cabrera got stuck in a ditch near the county line, then allegedly chased Garza-Perez into the Laser Transports parking lot and shot him repeatedly, court documents said.

Authorities say Ricketts then got into the driver seat of the Volkswagen, picked up Cabrera and drove him to get his car out of the ditch.

During interviews with Ricketts’ family members, law enforcement officials found that Ricketts and Cabrera, who is known as “Tiny,” were dating, the statement said. They told police Cabrera admitted to shooting Garza-Perez, who he said had threatened Cabrera’s family in Mexico, court documents said.

Investigators said they saw Ricketts buy 100 rounds of ammunition on surveillance video from the Conley Road Walmart in Columbia the day before the killing, then return the next day to buy black spray paint and a pre-paid cellphone.

Cabrera spray-painted the Corvette a darker color, a witness said.

Ricketts called her family to tell them she was going on the run with Cabrera, investigators said. The sheriff’s department tracked a phone used by Ricketts and Cabrera to an apartment in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Ricketts and Cabrera are still on the run and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to Callaway County authorities.

Cabrera has warrants for his arrest in Florida and Utah. He has been deported to Mexico mutliple times, the court documents said.

Prosecutors charged Ricketts with one count of first-degree murder and Cabrera with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Anyone with information about Cabrera or Ricketts is asked to call the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office at 573-642-7291.

Sign up for email news alerts by clicking here