Melanie Christine Cuellar, 29, has been returned to El Paso to face charges related to a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred in 2025. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Cuellar was apprehended in Mexico and subsequently taken into custody in Eagle Pass, Texas, before being transferred to El Paso on September 19.
Cuellar faces a charge of collision involving death, for which a bond has been set at 150,000 dollars. She is also being held without bond on a separate charge of driving while intoxicated with a minor passenger under the age of 15.
The charges stem from an incident on July 19, 2025, when 77-year-old Maria Lopez was struck and killed while crossing Alameda Avenue in the South-Central area of El Paso. Investigators allege that Cuellar struck the victim and fled the scene, eventually traveling to Mexico.
The arrest was the result of a coordinated effort involving the El Paso County Sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office. Following her location in Mexico, Cuellar was detained by the U.S. Marshals and transferred to the custody of Maverick County authorities at the Eagle Pass port of entry.
Viviana Lopez, the daughter of the victim, expressed relief regarding the arrest, stating that it provides a sense of closure after more than a year of waiting for progress in the case. El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte commended the inter-agency cooperation that led to the suspect’s return, noting that the arrest highlights the effectiveness of jurisdictional partnerships in pursuing fugitives.