Bacliff man held on murder charges

BACLIFF — A Bacliff man has been charged in the fatal stabbing of his brother-in-law.

Juan Cruz Vazquez, 35, was charged with murder in the Friday slaying of Saul Martinez, 31, of Bacliff.

Bond was set at $150,000, a Galveston County Sheriff’s Office statement said.

Early Friday morning, sheriff’s deputies found Martinez dead in a mobile home the two shared in the 4400 block of 17th Street. Witnesses said Vazquez and Martinez were arguing and the situation turned violent, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.

After Martinez was stabbed, Vazquez drove off and reportedly told friends of a family emergency. The friends helped him get to Houston, and he boarded a bus, hoping to get to Mexico, Tuttoilmondo said.

Vazquez first headed to Dallas and was apprehended in an Austin bus station by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents and Austin police officers late Friday night, Tuttoilmondo said.

Authorities have the knife they believe was used in the crime, Tuttoilmondo said.

Sheriff’s deputies were continuing their investigation Saturday night, the news release said.