Moreno Valley Woman Indicted for Helping Husband Flee to Mexico

Moreno Valley Woman Indicted for Helping Husband Flee to Mexico

RIVERSIDE, California – A federal grand jury has indicted Elba Soto, 36, of Moreno Valley, on charges related to assistance she provided to her husband, who fled to Mexico while pending sentencing in a federal immigration case.

The indictment, returned by a grand jury on Wednesday, charges Soto with being an accessory after the fact and with making false statements to the United States Marshals Service. If she is convicted of both counts in the indictment, Soto will face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

Soto is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment in United States District Court on October 19. Until that time, Soto will remain in custody without bond. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime, and every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

According to the indictment, Soto allegedly helped her husband, Jose Guadalupe Vega-Zuniga, flee to Mexico after he had pleaded guilty in a federal criminal case. Vega-Zuniga, 36, pleaded guilty on August 3 and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17. He admitted to reentering the United States after being deported to his native Mexico on four occasions between 2000 and 2008.

“The evidence in this case indicates the defendant knowingly transported her husband to Mexico while he was pending sentencing in the latest of his criminal cases,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “If these allegations are proven, the defendant knowingly assisted a convicted felon avoid justice. As a result, the defendant now faces her own criminal case and a significant prison term.”

This is not Soto’s first run-in with the law. In an original release, Soto was arrested on September 14 on federal charges of helping her husband flee the United States after he had pleaded guilty in a federal criminal case. At the time, she was ordered detained without bond and was scheduled to be arraigned on October 19. If convicted of being an accessory after the fact, Soto could face up to 10 years in federal prison.

The U.S. Marshals Service revealed that Soto’s vehicle entered Mexico through the Otay Mesa port of entry on August 18. Photographs taken during the crossing show Soto in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, with Vega-Zuniga in the passenger seat.

As the case continues to unfold, it is clear that Soto will face serious consequences for her alleged actions. With a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, it is imperative that she takes this situation seriously and cooperates fully with the authorities.