Selbyville Man Arrested for First Degree Murder of Elderly Family Member

SELBYVILLE, Del. – The Delaware State Police (DSP) arrested a man for the murder of a family member on Monday.

Police have arrested 28-year-old Jesus Palacio-Hernandez of Selbyville on one count of first degree murder. He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on a $1,000,000 cash bond.

At 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 2, troopers responded to a residence on the 37000 block of Pinto Drive after a 71-year-old woman was found deceased in a ditch behind the property. Upon arrival on the scene, troopers learned that a family member of Palacio-Hernandez became concerned following a conversation with him. Afterwards, the family member was unable to locate the victim and contacted 911.

While troopers were responding to the scene, family members found the victim in a ditch behind the residence, where she was confirmed deceased by emergency medical services. Through investigative means, Palacio-Hernandez was located in the Selbyville area and taken into custody without incident following a traffic stop.

Due to the nature of the incident, the DSP Homicide Unit assumed the investigation. Preliminary findings revealed that during the overnight hours, Palacio-Hernandez had an altercation with the victim inside the residence. He physically assaulted her before moving her body to the ditch where she was later found.