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The second of the two women arrested during the search for a Freeborn County murder suspect in August 2022 pleaded guilty Thursday in Freeborn County District Court to breaking into a home in rural Ellendale that authorities thought the suspect was hiding in.

Raquel Isabel Vasquez, 26, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary in the case, while co-defendant Ashley Marie Estrada, 35, pleaded guilty to the same charge in April.

Both were originally charged with second-degree burglary.

Court documents state on Aug. 10, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant at a home on 830th Avenue in rural Ellendale after receiving information that homicide suspect Ben Moreno would be with the two women.

At the time, Moreno was wanted for the shooting death of Juan Vasquez Jr. the day before south of Albert Lea.

According to court records, the SWAT team came to execute the warrant and approached the house with an armored vehicle and gave commands. The women reportedly surrendered and were detained, but Moreno was not found there.

He was arrested the next day in Forest City and has since been charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and ineligible possession of a firearm.

The complaint stated Raquel Vasquez admitted in an interview with a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office detective that she and Estrada had broken into the house, used a bathroom and cooked some rice and beans. They said no one else was there while they were at the house.

One of the women reportedly knew the person living at the residence — who was at treatment — but he told authorities he had not given them permission to be at the property.

On Thursday, District Court Judge Ross Leuning sentenced Estrada to two years of probation and ordered she also abide by a series of conditions during the length of the probation.

Vasquez’s sentencing is slated for Aug. 25.