Pedro Padilla Flores, born in the 1970s in Mexico, resided in the Mariscal district of downtown Ciudad Juárez. He was known to be a habitual drug user, frequenting areas associated with substance abuse.

In 1986, a series of femicides emerged in Ciudad Juárez, with young women's bodies found along the banks of the Rio Grande. These victims, some underage, exhibited signs of sexual assault and were strangled.

Padilla's modus operandi involved trailing his victims to secluded locations, where he would subdue, rape, and strangle them with his bare hands. It's believed he committed these acts under the influence of drugs, aligning with behavioral patterns observed in certain serial offenders.​

In 1986, authorities apprehended Padilla, who confessed to 30 murders; however, only three could be substantiated: two women and a 13-year-old girl. He received a life sentence but escaped from the Social Rehabilitation Center in Ciudad Juárez in 1990, highlighting significant lapses in prison security.​

Following his escape, Padilla remained a fugitive until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents captured him in New Mexico. On January 24, 2014, ICE transferred Padilla to Mexican authorities.​

Notably, Padilla became a prime suspect in the unsolved femicides in Ciudad Juárez. Among these was the 1998 murder of Dutch citizen Hester Suzanne van Nierop, found raped and strangled in a Ciudad Juárez hotel. Witnesses described her companion, matching Padilla's appearance, and hotel records indicated the name "Roberto Flores," one of Padilla's known aliases.

Through coordinated efforts between Mexican and U.S. authorities, Padilla was extradited to Mexico to face charges for van Nierop's murder. On December 1, 2015, he was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison.​