El Paso Radio: Former Radio Talent Found Murdered

Richard Masdrigal at KLAQ-FM

Police have identified the man suspected of killing a former KLAQ DJ as 31-year-old Leonel Hernandez. He's being held on $1M bond on murder charges.

Officers responded to a homicide Sunday evening at an apartment complex to find 33-year-old Richard Madrigal dead from a gunshot wound.

According to a court document obtained by ABC-7, a woman who witnessed the killing told police the name of the alleged shooter. Police located the suspect and he surrendered without incident.

A motive is not yet known.

A Facebook post by El Paso radio station KLAQ 95.5 FM states Madrigal was a former DJ.  ABC-7's New Mexico Mobile Newsroom also spoke with employees at Bravo Mic Studios in Las Cruces, where Madrigal was a former radio DJ for 99.5 KXPZ 99.5 FM from 2012-2013.

101 Gold Radio Host Jack Lutz said he was friends with Madrigal since they were 9-years-old.

"He won best disk jockey of the year for What's Up in El Paso," Lutz said. "Now let that sink in. A Las Cruces disk jockey won El Paso's best disk jockey of the year award. That's how good he was."

Lutz said Madrigal will be greatly missed by both the El Paso and Las Cruces community.

Most recently Madrigal was working for Destination El Paso as a convention sales manager.