Family of Walmart mass shooting victim fears plot to cheat ex-wife for possible compensation
JUAREZ, Mexico (KTSM) — Relatives of Alexander Hoffman, one of 23 people killed in the mass shooting at Walmart in El Paso on Aug. 3, 2019, say they continue to be harassed by a former elected official with alleged ties to former El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales.
The alleged harassment has progressed from trying to control every aspect of their possible testimony in US court to trying to disqualify Hoffman’s longtime partner and mother of his children from claiming to be his common-law wife in Mexico. The sparring continues as several multimillion-dollar civil suits are underway in connection with the Walmart shooting.
This week, Rosa Maria Valdez Garcia, 71, and her son Thomas told KTSM they believe former Vinton, Texas village judge Roger Rodriguez is behind a Juarez woman’s claim that she is the real wife of Alexander Gerhard Hoffman . Valdez and Hoffman were divorced, but the ex-wife and her son say they continued to live in the same home until he was shot dead at the Walmart in El Paso in 2019.
Sujey Monarrez Nevarez filed court documents in Chihuahua State Court in an effort to assert her right concubinato (wife) with Hoffman.
Valdez and Thomas believe this story was made up by Rodriguez to discredit Rosa and prevent her from getting her husband’s property, along with the expected multi-million dollar compensation from the lawsuit against Walmart.
KTSM made numerous attempts to contact Rodriguez, but without success. Valdez and Thomas say they met Rodriguez in El Paso and that Rosales introduced him as a member of her staff.
As for Monarrez, she listed the address of a vacant property in her court documents. She claims she met Hoffman in 2010 and lived with him for many years.
Valdez and Hoffman’s son says this is unlikely because Alexander was battling cancer at the time. They say a photo of a woman claiming to be Monarrez appears to be of a model randomly pulled from the internet.
They also allege that two men wearing shirts and IDs with the “AEI” (Agencia Estatal de Investigacion / State Investigation Agency) logo showed up on their doorstep on September 16 and wanted Valdez to sign a contract with a lawyer who Rodriguez had previously suggested.
Valdez refused and her son believes they were probably impostors because September 16 is a national holiday in Mexico and the courts are closed.
KTSM contacted Chihuahua Deputy Attorney General Carlos Manuel Salas and was told by his assistant that state police officers do not file civil court papers. The aide said Salas oversaw Juarez’s office for only a few weeks, as he was called to replace former AG deputy Manual Carrasco.
Valdez and Thomas showed KTSM court documents saying a Chihuahua judge sided with her claim concubinatobut fear that Monarrez or whoever stands behind her will appeal.
They are now proceeding with the legal action against Rodriguez at the Chihuahua AG office to prove their claim that Rodriguez fabricated the story.