Suspect in 1997 cold case murder of elderly woman arrested in Oregon
By Tim Fang
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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Nearly 30 years after an elderly woman was found dead in her East San Jose apartment, authorities in the South Bay have arrested and charged a man with murder.
San Jose Police announced Wednesday that 75-year-old Joe Contreras of Dallas, Oregon was arrested Dec. 19 in the 1997 killing of 84-year-old Alice Sharitz. Contreras was extradited from Oregon to California and was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
“Time does not erase responsibility,” Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. “And thanks to the relentless work of our Homicide Unit and the District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit, it never will.”
According to officers, Sharitz was found dead in her home on North Jackson Avenue on the afternoon of Oct. 6, 1997 by a neighbor who was delivering a card.
An autopsy revealed Sharitz had two stab wounds to the chest, multiple fractures, neck injuries and numerous facial abrasions. The coroner at the time determined the case of death to be multiple traumatic injuries. Despite what was described by police as “exhaustive investigative efforts”, the case went cold for more than 20 years.
A male DNA profile developed from DNA collected from the crime scene was submitted for advanced forensic genetic genealogy analysis in 2021. In Oct. 2024, police said the sample identified Contreras as a potential source of DNA.
Two months later, a DNA sample was collected from Contreras with the help of Oregon authorities. In February of last year, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office crime lab confirmed the DNA from the crime scene matched Contreras’ DNA.
Detectives and an investigator from the DA’s office Cold Case Unit traveled to Oregon and interviewed Contreras. An arrest warrant was later obtained and the suspect was safely taken into custody.
“Justice for Alice Sharitz and her loved ones was long in coming, but it is here. It took DNA. It took genealogy. And it took the mindset of the SJPD and the DA’s Cold Case Unit to never give up on a victim, ever,” said District Attorney Jeff Rosen. Jail records show Contreras is being held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.
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