Watsonville illegal alien linked to 1994 murder, deported to Mexico
Watsonville man linked to 1994 murder, deported to Mexico
By Stephen Baxter - Santa Cruz Sentinelsantacruzsentinel.com
Posted: 08/17/2012 05:15:14 PM PDT
August 18, 2012 12:43 AM GMTUpdated: 08/17/2012 05:43:35 PM PDT
WATSONVILLE - A 38-year-old Watsonville man was deported to Mexico Friday after Mexican authorities fingered him in a 1994 murder in the Mexican state of Colima.
The Mexican Attorney General's Office told United States law enforcement agencies that they believed Alvaro Hernandez-Fuentes was living in Watsonville, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Hernandez-Fuentes, a 38-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested on a warrant on July 12 at a home in Watsonville, Kice said.
"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the United States will find no sanctuary in our communities," said Joseph Vincent, assistant special agent in charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in San Jose.
Mexican authorities said Hernandez-Fuentes shot Alejandro Gomez Garcia to death in 1994.
Authorities alleged that Hernandez-Fuentes' girlfriend lured Garcia to a location and promised him marijuana. When Garcia arrived, Hernandez-Fuentes was waiting and shot him three times with a .38-caliber pistol, according to the arrest warrant.
Hernandez-Fuentes saw Gomez was still alive, so he shot him three more times, the warrant stated.
Hernandez-Fuentes' girlfriend eventually surrendered to Mexican law enforcement, saying that Hernandez-Fuentes tried to force her to burglarize a store to fund his escape to the U.S.
Authorities learned that Hernnadez-Fuentes was living in Watsonville, although it was not clear how long he lived there, said Lauri Haley, an ICE spokeswoman. Hernandez-Fuentes was in the U.S. legally, Haley said.
He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team and Homeland Security Investigations - part of ICE.
On Aug. 9, an immigration judge ruled that Hernandez-Fuentes would be repatriated to Mexico. He crossed the border from San Ysidro to Mexico on Friday.
Since October 2009, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations has removed more than 450 foreign fugitives from the United States to their native countries for serious crimes, Kice said.
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Watsonville man linked to 1994 murder, deported to Mexico - San Jose Mercury News
ICE deports Mexican murder suspect captured in Santa Cruz area
I.C.E.News Release
August 17, 2012
San Diego, CA
ICE deports Mexican murder suspect captured in Santa Cruz area
SAN DIEGO — A Mexican national, murder suspect captured in northern California last month was turned over to Mexican law enforcement personnel Friday at the San Ysidro border crossing by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Alvaro Hernandez-Fuentes, 38, was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General's Office. Hernandez-Fuentes is wanted in his native country for fatally shooting an acquaintance in the Mexican state of Colima Dec. 1, 1993.
According to the Mexican arrest warrant issued in January 1994, Hernandez-Fuentes' girlfriend lured the victim, Alejandro Gomez Garcia, to a location with the promise that marijuana would soon be available. When Gomez Garcia arrived, Hernandez-Fuentes was waiting, and proceeded to fire three shots with a .380 caliber pistol. When Hernandez-Fuentes realized the victim was still alive, he fired three additional shots. Hernandez-Fuentes's girlfriend eventually surrendered to police, telling them that Hernandez-Fuentes was attempting to force her to burglarize a store to fund his escape to the United States.
Hernandez-Fuentes' repatriation to Mexico follows his arrest July 12, at a residence in Watsonville, Calif., by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team (SCCACT). The multi-agency law enforcement team was able to locate Hernandez-Fuentes after receiving a lead from the Mexican Attorney General's Office that the fugitive might be living in the Watsonville area. On August 9, an immigration judge cleared the way for the fugitive's repatriation to Mexico after Hernandez-Fuentes admitted he was, in fact, the same person wanted for the homicide in Colima.
"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the United States will find no sanctuary in our communities" said Joseph Vincent, assistant special agent in charge for HSI San Jose. "As this case makes clear, U.S. law enforcement agencies are working closely together to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes."
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 450 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.
ICE deports Mexican murder suspect captured in Santa Cruz area
