On Tuesday, July 18, 85-year-old Liborio Canales was arrested in Lovington on federal charges for the 1986 stabbing murder of Barbara Villarreal.

Lovington Police Department (LPD) officers assisted the FBI and Garland, Texas police force officers in the arrest. LPD detectives and patrol were involved in the arrest because Canales “…moved to Lovington in the years since the murder,” states a press release issued by the LPD. 

The homicide took place in Garland, Texas, on Nov. 7, 1986. Through the years, the case became cold. According to historical data, law enforcement responded to a residence in Garland, TX where they found Ms. Villarreal deceased. “Villarreal had suffered numerous stab wounds and a large kitchen knife was found nearby,” states the press release. Police initially interviewed Ms. Villarreal’s husband, “who was eventually cleared in the murder.”

In 1986 from the scene of the crime, police collected DNA that “the suspect had left behind.” During the following years, FBI agents and officers from the Garland Police Department made progress investigating the case, tracking down leads in both the U.S. and Mexico. Their investigation led to Canales being considered a suspect in the murder.

Through their surveillance, investigators learned that Canales periodically spends time in Lovington, which opened an opportunity for an arrest.

On Monday, July 17, investigators learned that after spending most of 2023 in Mexico, Canales crossed the border into New Mexico to celebrate his upcoming birthday with family in Lovington. Upon arrival in Lovington, Canales was arrested and charged without incident by Lovington and Garland police officers for the murder of Ms. Villarreal that took place nearly 37 years ago. 

Canales is being held in the Lea County Detention Center “on a federal warrant for the charge of Murder, on a $1,000,000 bond.” Canales will likely be extradited to Texas in the next few days.