Thread: Suspect in hiding nearly 25 years nabbed

Suspect in hiding nearly 25 years nabbed
By Jason Kandel, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 03/27/2008 10:18:17 PM PDT


When two men shot Manuel Reyes during a Sun Valley bar fight almost 25 years ago, police were pretty sure who did it.

They arrested Severiano Dominguez, who eventually was convicted and sentenced to eight years for manslaughter. And they named Arnulfo Zuniga as the other suspect.

But because of a paperwork mistake, his fingerprints from a 1978 DUI arrest were never attached to the warrant for his arrest. Police couldn't make the collar on him, and he fled to Mexico and disappeared.

Then in January, LAPD North Hollywood Division Detective Tom Townsend was going through cold cases when he discovered Zuniga's name and mug shot - but no fingerprint card, he said.

He requested the card, which made its way to detectives last month. They tracked down Zuniga, 55, in Las Vegas, where police busted him Thursday morning. He confessed to everything, Townsend said.

"Something just hit me on this one to work it a little deeper, do more background on it," he said. "The case kept growing and growing like a snowball every time I uncovered something."

Zuniga was in Las Vegas police custody facing unrelated gun-possession charges Thursday while Los Angeles police were requesting his extradition to L.A. to face murder charges.

He is accused of shooting Reyes, who was hit eight times, on Nov. 6, 1983, at La Terraza Inn on San Fernando Road, after an argument.

He and Dominguez were in the bar when Reyes and several members of an amateur soccer team showed up. Reyes and his teammates began arguing with a mariachi band playing at the bar, and Zuniga and Dominguez intervened, according to prosecutors who handled Dominguez's case.
A fight broke out, and bullets flew, leaving Reyes dead.

Dominguez, who was 23 at the time, fled to Mexico, but was arrested when he returned to the San Fernando Valley. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and has since served his sentence. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Zuniga also fled to Mexico, he told detectives during his interrogation Thursday. Then, for some reason, he returned to Sun Valley to live with a friend under a new identity before returning to Mexico, where he lived for several more years.

Finally, he settled with his family in Las Vegas, where he has lived for about 17 years while working as a day laborer, police said.

The big break came when Townsend figured out Zuniga was using another name - Antonio Mendoza-Gonzalez - and was in Las Vegas.

Mendoza-Gonzalez had a minor theft arrest in 2003. A fingerprint from that arrest matched the print Zuniga gave from his 1978 DUI arrest in L.A. - the one that was mistakenly left out of his arrest warrant for the bar shooting.

"Well, we got him," Townsend said at the time. "This is our guy."

LAPD North Hollywood Division Detectives Joe Esquivel and Louie Calvadillas got the confession from Zuniga on Thursday.

They said Zuniga's friend had told him that in time, everything passes.

"I guess that's not the case," Zuniga then told the detectives during his interview.

During a search of his home, police found a bulletproof vest, two guns and papers bearing the name Zuniga. They also discovered two pistols, neither of which was used in the killing, and identification papers with the names of different aliases he used over the years.

It could take a month to get him back to Los Angeles, depending on whether he chooses to fight extradition.

"It's been 25-plus years," Esquivel said. "We don't forget about these cases. These things aren't forgotten. The family will be able to see that this guy is brought to justice and they can find closure in this case."

jason.kandel@dailynews.com 818-713-3634

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8723250

RELATED:

Las Vegas Police Arrest Man in 25-Year-Old Murder Case

Updated: March 27, 2008 10:03 PM PDT


Las Vegas police say Arnulfo Zuniga was arrested Thursday at a home north of downtown Las Vegas.


Authorities say they've arrested a man wanted for a murder in California 25 years ago.

Las Vegas police say Arnulfo Zuniga was arrested Thursday at a home north of downtown Las Vegas. Several firearms, a bulletproof vest and false identification also were found in the home, police said.

Zuniga is accused of shooting a man at the La Terraza Inn in Sun Valley, Calif. in 1983. Police believe he fled to Mexico after the shooting. It is unclear when he returned to the U.S. Police say Zuniga had been using the name Antonio Mendoza-Gonzalez.

His arrest was prompted by Los Angeles Police Department review of cold case warrants.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=8081522

They said Zuniga's friend had told him that in time, everything passes.

"I guess that's not the case," Zuniga then told the detectives during his interview.

No.....the object of the game isn't to see how long you can get away with something and figure you're off scott free if enough time passes.

Las Vegas police say Arnulfo Zuniga was arrested Thursday at a home north of downtown Las Vegas. Several firearms, a bulletproof vest and false identification also were found in the home, police said.

Firearms + bullet proof vest + false ID's = better closely investigate what he has been doing the past 25 years.

Distrust and caution are the parents of security.
Benjamin Franklin

I bet he wishes he had stayed in Mexico

I wonder if he'll be my prison "pen-pal?" He sure is a handsome devil.

Originally Posted by MyAmerica

Las Vegas police say Arnulfo Zuniga was arrested Thursday at a home north of downtown Las Vegas. Several firearms, a bulletproof vest and false identification also were found in the home, police said.

Firearms + bullet proof vest + false ID's = better closely investigate what he has been doing the past 25 years.

Distrust and caution are the parents of security.
Benjamin Franklin

My thoughts exactly.

Zuniga also fled to Mexico, he told detectives during his interrogation Thursday. Then, for some reason, he returned to Sun Valley to live with a friend under a new identity before returning to Mexico, where he lived for several more years.

Finally, he settled with his family in Las Vegas, where he has lived for about 17 years while working as a day laborer, police said

For goodness sakes, this guy went back of forth across our southern border like he was using a crosswalk!

Why is out border not secured!