Suspect Sought in 2003 Murder of Clearwater Mom, Toddler

Clearwater Police have identified a suspect in the 2003 double homicide of a mother and her 2-year-old son and are asking for the public's help in locating him.

Police say Gilberto Juarez-Hernandez, 32, is responsible for the slayings of Petra Martin, 31, and her son, Uriel, who were both found stabbed to death in their South San Remo Avenue apartment on July 19, 2003.

A warrant is out for Juarez-Hernandez, whose last known address was in Des Moines, Iowa, as of 2008, public safety spokesperson Elizabeth Watts said. Authorities are not sure if he is still in the area, elsewhere in the country or in Mexico. A "red notice" has been issued through the Interpol database, which notifies 190 countries Juarez-Hernandez is wanted.

A bloody fingerprint that was recently tested using newer technology implicated Juarez-Hernandez in the slayings, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The suspect had no local criminal history but had been arrested in Iowa on fraud charges and for driving with a suspended or revoked license, authorities said.

The killings were not random, but a possible motive has not been determined, according to Clearwater Police Lt. James Kleinsorge.

"After 21 years in law enforcement, this is by far the most heinous crime I've ever been involved in," Kleinsorge told the Times at a Monday press conference.

Police distributed a 1999 photo of Juarez-Hernandez but noted he would appear older and that some physical attributes may have changed. He is described as being 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, and he has two moles on the left side of his face, one below his eye and one to the left of his nose, police said.

He may also be going by the names Gilbert Juarez-Hernandez, Jorge Campos, Gilberto Hernandez-Sanchez, Gilberto Mercado-Hernandez or Gilberto Juarez, authorities said.

Anyone with information about Juarez-Hernandez is asked to contact the Clearwater Police Department Tip Line at 727-562-4422. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by texting CWPD to tip411 (847411).

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