Thread: Suspect in 1989 slaying extradited from Mexico

Suspect in 1989 slaying extradited from Mexico

By Kristina Davis
Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 7:11 p.m.

ESCONDIDO — A man suspected of killing a guest at an Escondido party 21 years ago has been extradited to the United States to face murder charges, Escondido police said Thursday.

Vicente Benites, 49, was handed over to Escondido police Thursday morning by Mexican authorities and booked into jail. Details on his arrest were unavailable. Investigators plan to release more information during a news conference Friday.

Benites is accused of fleeing to Mexico in May 1989 after shooting Margarito Navarette, 41, of Los Angeles, at a party.

Police said at the time that Benites and another man, Epifanio Flores, crashed a 15-year-old girl’s party on East Pennsylvania Avenue to get revenge on the victim.

The suspects possibly believed the victim had been involved in killing Benites’ brother in Mexico a few years earlier, police said.

Flores allegedly stabbed Navarette, and then ran to his car to drive away, police said. Witnesses chased him and broke his car windows, and police arrested him several blocks away.

Benites, who is accused of shooting the victim five times, escaped on foot, police said. Authorities suspected he fled to his home state of Guerrero.

Nearly 50 people were at the party during the slaying.

kristina.davis@uniontrib.com • (619) 542-4591 • Twitter @kristinadavis

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... ed-mexico/

You can run and you can hide

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