Monsters of Ecatepec
{{Short description|Mexican serial killers}}
{{Infobox criminal
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Juan Carlos Hernández
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name =
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| birth_name = 1985
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| birth_place = Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, México
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| nationality = Mexican
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| occupation = Clothing seller and serial killer
| years_active = 2012–2018
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| criminal_charge =
| conviction_penalty = 300+ years in prison
| conviction_status = Convicted
| spouse = Patricia Martínez (m. 2008)
| children = 4
| parents =
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| allegiance =
| motive = Sexual compulsion, hatred
| conviction = Femicide (9 counts)
illegal adoption
illegal inhumation of human remains
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| victims = 10–20
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| country = Mexico
| states = State of Mexico
| locations = Ecatepec de Morelos
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| apprehended = 4 October 2018
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{{Infobox criminal
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Patricia Martínez
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| image =
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| birth_name = 1980
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico
| resting_place =
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| monuments =
| nationality = Mexican
| other_names =
| citizenship =
| occupation = Clothing seller, housewife and serial killer
| years_active = 2012–2018
| net_worth =
| height =
| weight =
| boards =
| criminal_charge =
| conviction_penalty = 300+ years in prison
| conviction_status = Convicted
| spouse = Juan Carlos Hernández (m. 2008)
| children = 4
| parents =
| website =
| motive = Sexual compulsion (?), retention of partner
| conviction = Femicide (9 counts)
illegal adoption
illegal inhumation of human remains
| trial =
| trial_start =
| trial_end =
| reward_amount =
| capture_status =
| wanted_by =
| partners =
| wanted_since =
| time_at_large =
| victims = 10–20
| date =
| time =
| beginyear =
| endyear =
| country = Mexico
| states = State of Mexico
| locations = Ecatepec de Morelos
| targets =
| fatalities =
| injuries =
| weapons =
| apprehended =
| imprisoned =
| module =
| signature =
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}}
The "Monsters of Ecatepec" is the name given to a serial killing couple Juan Carlos Hernández {{Cite news|url=http://www.letraroja.com/prostituta-y-subnormal-la-novia-del-monstruo-de-ecatepec/|title=Prostituta y "subnormal": la novia del Monstruo de Ecatepec|date=10 October 2018|work=La Silla Rota|access-date=19 October 2018|language=es|trans-title=Prostitute and "subnormal": the Monster of Ecatepec´s girlfriend}}(1985, Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán) and Patricia Martínez{{Cite news|url=https://diario.mx/Nacional/2018-10-15_ff3ff2be/monstruo-de-ecatepec-se-comia-a-sus-victimas-en-carne-asada/|title='Monstruo de Ecatepec' se comía a sus víctimas en carne asada|last=Excélsior|work=El Diario de Juárez|access-date=2018-10-20|language=es-MX}} (1980, Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán).{{Cite web|url=https://www.milenio.com/policia/el-monstruo-de-ecatepec-y-otros-asesinos-seriales-en-mexico|title='El Monstruo de Ecatepec' y otros asesinos seriales en México|work=Milenio|language=es|access-date=2018-10-20|date=2018-10-10}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.la-prensa.com.mx/policia/356676-los-monstruos-de-ecatepec-son-originarios-de-lazaro-cardenas|title=Los "monstruos" de Ecatepec son originarios de Lázaro Cárdenas|date=13 October 2018|work=La Prensa|access-date=19 October 2018|language=es|trans-title=The "monsters" of Ecatepec are originated from Lázaro Cárdenas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017043117/https://www.la-prensa.com.mx/policia/356676-los-monstruos-de-ecatepec-son-originarios-de-lazaro-cardenas|archive-date=17 October 2018|url-status=dead}} The case also received the names of "The House of Horror"{{Cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2018/10/06/5bb8eec9e5fdead95d8b45b6.html|title=La casa de los horrores mexicana|last=Sánchez Olmos|first=Pablo|date=6 October 2018|work=ELMUNDO|access-date=2018-10-20|language=es|trans-title=The Mexican House of Horror}} or "The Butchers of Ecatepec".{{Cite news|url=https://www.la-prensa.com.mx/policia/356283-audiencia-del-carnicero-de-ecatepec-en-vivo|title=¡Que nunca salga de la cárcel! Piden en audiencia del "Carnicero de Ecatepec"|date=11 October 2018|work=La Prensa|access-date=2018-10-20|trans-title=Never free down them from jail! Demanded in Butcher of Ecatepec´s audience|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017043727/https://www.la-prensa.com.mx/policia/356283-audiencia-del-carnicero-de-ecatepec-en-vivo|archive-date=17 October 2018|url-status=dead}} Active in Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico, from 2012 to 2018, the pair are suspected to have committed between 10 and 20 murders, and have also confessed to cannibalizing the bodies of their victims.{{Cite news|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/mexico-serial-murder-couple-claim-20-killings-10805932|title=Mexico serial murder couple claim 20 killings|work=Channel NewsAsia|access-date=2018-10-20|language=en-US}} The pair were apprehended on October 4, 2018, when transporting human remains in a baby stroller.{{Cite news|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1028805/mexico-news-murder-pet-food-Juan-Carlos-N|title=Serial killer murdered 20 women before feeding remains to pets, court told|last=McGrath|first=Ciaran|date=2018-10-09|work=Express.co.uk|access-date=2018-10-20|language=en}}
Background
They were both born in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, within a five-year age gap. Juan Carlos' mother was a single mother, who allegedly often dressed him as a girl, brought men to her house and forced her son to watch her sexual encounters. Also, he declared that in his childhood, he suffered sexual abuse by another woman who at the time was his caretaker.{{Cite news|url=https://lasillarota.com/metropoli/asi-es-el-sombrio-facebook-del-monstruo-de-ecatepec-juan-carlos-ecatepec-feminicidios-asesino/251179|title=Así es el "sombrío" Facebook del "Monstruo de Ecatepec"|last=Gutiérrez González|first=Rodrigo|date=9 October 2018|work=La Silla Rota|access-date=19 October 2018|language=es|trans-title=The "dark" Facebook page of the "Monster of Ecatepec"}} When he was 10 years old, he fell from the stairs and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.{{Cite news|url=https://www.proceso.com.mx/555382/el-efecto-gatillo-en-el-monstruo-de-ecatepec|title=El "efecto gatillo" en el "monstruo de Ecatepec" - Proceso|date=2018-10-15|work=Proceso|access-date=2018-10-20|language=es-MX}} Patricia Martínez was born to a poor family, and was manipulative. She was diagnosed with a borderline intelligence disorder linked to intellectual disability. She was a prostitute at the time.
The couple met in 2008, when Patricia worked as waitress at a restaurant, of which Juan Carlos was a regular client. They initiated a relationship and, although he bragged to be an "assassin", she decided to move with him.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/columna/hector-de-mauleon/nacion/el-monstruo-y-ella|title=El Monstruo y ella|last=De Mauleón|first=Héctor|date=2018-10-15|work=El Universal|access-date=2018-10-20|language=es|trans-title=The Monster and her}} The couple had four children during their 10-year relationship. They opened a family business where they sold clothing, perfume and cell phones.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-45806103|title=Qué se sabe del "monstruo de Ecatepec" y su pareja, los asesinos seriales de mujeres que vendían los restos de sus víctimas|last=Nájar|first=Alberto|date=2018-10-10|work=BBC News Mundo|access-date=2018-10-20|language=en-GB}}
Crimes
Their first victim, according to Patricia's declaration, was a 22-year-old woman who Juan Carlos lured with job promises. In their house, Hernández led her to their bathroom where he raped, beheaded and dismembered her. Martínez kept their children outside the house while the murder occurred. After the murder, Martínez partially cooked the body and ate it with her husband. Their second victim was a teen girl who lived next to them, who suffered an inhalants addiction; they allegedly lured her with promises of wealth. Like the first victim she was also raped, beheaded and dismembered in their bathroom. Patricia cooked the victim's body in oil and salt. In 2019, the couple was sentenced to 114 years after being convicted of murdering Arlet Samanta and Nancy Noemi, who were killed in April and September 2018 respectively. In addition, they were also convicted of selling Noemi's baby to another couple and hiding a body.{{cite news|url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/4th-sentence-for-monsters-of-ecatepec/|title=4th sentence for ‘monsters of Ecatepec’ brings prison time to 114 years|last=Schatzberg|first=Simon|date=June 20, 2019|accessdate=May 28, 2025|agency=Mexico News Daily}} In February 2021, the couple were given a life sentence for the murder of a 13-year-old girl in 2012. Prior to that, they were convicted of murdering five other women and a child which resulted in their sentence surpassing 300 years.{{cite news|url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/another-sentence-this-one-for-life-in-prison-for-monsters-of-ecatepec/|title=Another sentence, this one for life in prison, for ‘Monsters of Ecatepec’|agency=Mexico News Daily|date=February 19, 2021|accessdate=May 28, 2025}} In total, they were convicted of killing at least nine people.