EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The woman who was identified as the suspect driver in a fatal hit-and-run crash from 2025 is now back in El Paso, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in an update on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Melanie Christine Cuellar, 29, has now been transported back to El Paso, said Sheriff’s Office said.
She was found in Mexico and was arrested in Eagle Pass, Texas, earlier this week.
Now back in El Paso, she was taken into custody by deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit.
She has been booked into the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility on a $150,000 bond for collision involving death, the Sheriff’s Office said.
She is also being held without bond on a separate charge of driving while intoxicated with a child under the age of 15, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Family seeks justice one year after fatal El Paso hit-and-run
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said its Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) worked with the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office and the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office to find Cuellar.
Through coordinated efforts, Cuellar was found in Mexico and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
She was transported to the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, where the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office took custody of her.
Melanie Christine Cuellar, 29 (Eagle Pass Police Department)
As previously reported by KTSM 9 News, Cuellar was wanted on an active warrant for collision involving death after she allegedly struck 77-year-old Maria Lopez in South-Central El Paso, then fled to Mexico.
Lopez was struck and killed while crossing Alameda Avenue on July 19, 2025, and died at the scene.
Family seeks justice months after 77-year-old woman killed in El Paso hit-and-run
KTSM spoke to Lopez’s daughter Viviana Lopez after Cuellar’s arrest.
“It’s bittersweet. It’s rewarding.” Viviana Lopez said. “I feel weight off my shoulders. I feel more calm. I’m happy. I know that my mom can finally rest in peace.”
“This arrest demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships and coordinated efforts that extend beyond jurisdictional boundaries,” El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte. “We appreciate the U.S. Marshals Service, the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in locating Cuellar and ensuring she was returned to El Paso to face these charges.”
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