Susan Ann Rousseau A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the homicide of a Kingsville woman who was bludgeoned to death five years ago.

George Garza III, 26, was arrested in Alice, and Corina Lam Lopez, 48, was arrested in Austin.

Garza was arrested Monday and is incarcerated at the Kleberg County jail. He has been charged with capital murder and his bond has been set at $300,000.

Both are suspects in the death of Susan Ann Rousseau who was found dead in her Kingsville residence.

Lopez, 48, was arrested on a capital murder warrant in Austin Tuesday and was incarcerated at the Travis County Jail as of Friday morning, but she was expected to be transported here by late afternoon that same day.

Both Garza and Lopez are Alice natives.

Rousseau, 35, was found bludgeoned to death at her residence on Dec. 7, 2005, at the Oasis Mobile Home Park, located at 2415 E. Santa Gertrudis. Law enforcement officials believe she was beaten to death with a baseball bat.

Lopez had been a person of interest after Rousseau’s murder.

The victim had previously filed four charges of harassment against Lopez.

Kleberg County District Attorney John Hubert said the case is being viewed as a capital murder case at this time.

“We will still continue to investigate this case and interview witnesses as available,” Hubert said Friday.

“After a thorough investigation the case will be taken to the grand jury to determine if there is probable cause to indict.”

He praised the Kingsville Police Department for continuing the investigation and its persistence in keeping the pressure up.

Kingsville Police Chief Ricardo Torres said Thursday they were pleased that the investigation into this cold case had resulted in the arrest of two people connected to this crime.

Based on information that Garza volunteered to Kingsville law enforcement officials when they questioned him in Alice on Monday, Lopez was arrested in Austin outside her residence on Tuesday and taken to the Travis County Jail.

Sgt. Bradley Lile, Vilma Salinas, a KPD senior detective, and Keith Pauska, a Texas Ranger assigned to Kingsville, participated in the interrogation of Garza, according to Torres.

It is unclear as to what the relationship was between Garza and Lopez. Lile said Garza confessed to the crime during police questioning.

The Kingsville Police Chief said that Tamera Meyers Blackstock and Salinas originally worked on the case.

“Sgt. Meyers is still helping with the case because she has insight to it,” Torres said.

“The investigators have been adamant in their investigation of this case and ultimately what we would like to get is a conviction for all parties involved and get punished for their crimes,” he said.

Torres said Rousseau’s family has been informed of the arrests.

Rousseau was the mother of one son.

The son no longer lives in Kleberg County.

Garza was arrested at 7:42 p.m. Monday Aug. 2, at his residence at the 600 block of N. Walnut, according to Alice Police Chief Daniel Bueno. He said the arrest was made without incident by Sgt. David Valadez, an officer with the Alice Police Department, that evening.

Bueno said a warrant for Garza’s arrest had been signed by Martin Chiuminatto, Kleberg County Court at Law judge.

“He was fingerprinted here and taken to the Kleberg County jail,” Bueno said.

“I am glad the Alice Police Department and the Kingsville Police Department worked together in the apprehension of this individual without any incident,” Bueno said.

Following her death on Dec. 7, 2005, the mobile home park manager stated that Rousseau’s badly beaten body was discovered by an acquaintance that night.

The mobile home park manager had befriended Rousseau, who expressed fear because threats had been made on her life.

The Kingsville Police Department stated that Rousseau made several reports of harassment to the department that were under investigation.

Because of the woman’s fear, she was relocated to a lot in the mobile home park that was near a corner where a tenant, who was a retired police officer, and resident with dogs, could surround her.

The manager stated she would be more secure.

Rousseau also had surveillance cameras placed throughout the interior and exterior of her home that were seized by the Kingsville Police Department with other evidence.