Roswell police have closed the murder investigation of Sandy Springs restaurant owner Blanca Sauer after confirming the suspect died by suicide in Mexico.

The Roswell Police Department announced Thursday, Oct. 8 that the nearly two-year-old case is formally resolved. Investigators verified that Roberto Dominguez Soto, 49, acted alone in the killing and is dead, ending a manhunt that stretched across international borders.

Sauer, 47, owned Casa de Quesadilla at 8757 Dunwoody Place in Sandy Springs. A passerby found her body in a ditch near Azalea Drive and Atlanta Street, close to the Riverwalk Trail along the Chattahoochee River, on Dec. 24, 2024. She had been shot at least once, and detectives said they did not believe she was killed where her body was found, according to WSB-TV.

Roswell police quickly identified Dominguez Soto as the suspect and issued a murder warrant. He had done plumbing work at Sauer's restaurant and briefly dated her, according to people close to Sauer who spoke with WSB-TV in January 2025. Dominguez Soto was also wanted by Interpol on firearms possession charges out of Mexico.

The suspect's trail went cold. Then in mid-2025, Roswell detectives received information that Dominguez Soto had died by suicide in Mexico, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Authorities coordinated with federal and international partners to verify his death and confirm he acted alone before closing the case. Police have not released a specific motive for the shooting.

Once the death was officially confirmed, Roswell police updated Sauer's family before making the closure public. The department said in a statement that it shared the update so the community would know the final outcome, adding that its thoughts remain with Sauer's family and loved ones.

Roswell Police Chief James Conroy, in a statement reported by Rough Draft Atlanta in late December 2024, called the killing "a senseless act of targeted violence."

Sauer's family described her as a mother, grandmother and business owner who built Casa de Quesadilla from the ground up. She was known for feeding homeless people who visited her restaurant, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. After her death, the restaurant closed and was put up for sale. A handwritten sign on the door read, "Our beautiful Blanca was taken from us on Christmas Eve," Rough Draft Atlanta reported.

Her family's GoFundMe campaign for funeral expenses raised more than $10,000.

Maria Delgado, a friend of Sauer's, told WSB-TV in January 2025 that Sauer "did say that she feared for her life" and had named Dominguez Soto as the person she feared.

The case is now closed.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.