A man wanted for more than 25 years in the murder of his former girlfriend in Phoenix was taken into custody in Mexico.
On April 1, 2000, Maria Cruz-Galvan, 30, was inside her home when her former boyfriend, Abraham Rafael Pedroza-Garcia, broke in, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Chris Berrelleza.
Pedroza-Garcia stabbed Cruz-Galvan, killing her, and critically injuring another man who was in the home, Berrelleza said.
Pedroza-Garcia fled. The man who survived the attack was able to identify Pedroza-Garcia in a photo lineup as the suspect, and a warrant for his arrest was issued, Berrelleza said.
Phoenix police and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office spent years working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate Pedroza-Garcia. Marshals Service investigators
determined Pedroza-Garcia, now 65, was living in Mexico, according to Berrelleza.
The Marshals Service and Mexican law-enforcement partners coordinated with Phoenix police and the County Attorney's Office in his arrest. Pedroza-Garcia was taken into custody in Mexico, and the Marshals Service escorted him back to Arizona on Sept. 11 without incident, according to Berrelleza.
"The successful location and apprehension of Pedroza-Garcia highlights the strong partnership between local, county, federal, and international law enforcement agencies and demonstrates their continued commitment to bringing justice to victims and their families," Berrelleza said.
Pedroza-Garcia was then transferred to Phoenix police investigators. He was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and first-degree burglary, Berrelleza said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man arrested in Mexico 26 years after ex-girlfriend's Phoenix murder
