SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The sister of Heriberto Ruiz is processing a mix of emotions after learning her brother's decades-old cold case has been linked to suspected serial killer Dwight Rhone.
"It's like reopening a wound we thought was closed, and it's not," Josefa Pablo said.
Ruiz was 34 years old when his body was discovered on Christmas Eve in an alley off Acacia Street in Southcrest. Police said he was wrapped in a blanket with his hands appearing to be tied. Prosecutors say his cause of death was strangulation.
Pablo remembers her older brother fondly.
"He was funny, and would help anyone. He was also very trusting,” Pablo said.
The loss was devastating — and puzzling. Ruiz, a landscaper and father of 2, lived in North County with his parents. Pablo isn't sure why he was in San Diego.
Pablo says her Ford Mustang, which her brother had borrowed, was later tracked down somewhere in San Diego. Police told her it was being driven by an African American man who claimed he was sold the car for $100.
The case eventually went cold.
"It was hurtful. We didn't know why he was killed," Pablo said.
Years turned into decades with no answers.
"So we just assumed it was never going to be solved," Pablo said.
Then came a shocking call from a police detective, who told her the suspected killer was Dwight Rhone.
"As far as I know, I don't think he knew him," Pablo said.
Ruiz is one of at least 4 victims linked to Rhone.
"It's painful, just to think somebody would kill, just to kill, and my brother would have been one of those victims," Pablo said.
Pablo says police didn't tell her what linked Rhone to her brother. As the court process plays out, she holds on to the memory of her mother, who passed away 8 years ago.
"She died without justice for my brother. Now she knows he will eventually get justice," Pablo said.
Pablo says she wants to see Rhone held accountable.
"I want him to pay for my brother's death. I want justice for my brother," Pablo said.
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