CAPTURED!
June 22, 2006
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Male Hispanic
09/06/79
5'11"
162 lbs.
Brown
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LOS ANGELES – Alvaro Jara-Luna, a Los Angeles gang member who
fled to Mexico in hopes of escaping prosecution for the murder of a
12-year-old boy eight years ago has been captured and will be
returned to this country to stand trial, the District Attorney and
U.S. Marshals Service announced today.
District Attorney Steve Cooley and John Clark, chief inspector for
the U.S. Marshals Service, said the fugitive was arrested without
incident early this morning in Nayarit, Mexico. He was taken to
Mexico City, where he will be imprisoned during extradition
proceedings.
Cooley noted that today’s arrest marked the fifth accused murderer
from Los Angeles County who has been arrested for extradition since
the Mexican Supreme Court in November 2005 ruled that persons
charged with crimes carrying life sentences could be extradited to
the United States for trial.
“The U.S. Marshals Service, the Mexican government, members of my
office and all law enforcement agencies that have handled this case
are to be commended for their hard work to ensure this defendant is
tried in Los Angeles, where the crime occurred and where the
survivors of the victim live,” said Cooley. “I have requested that
additional investigators from the District Attorney’s Bureau of
Investigation be assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force to enable
us to go after more of these fugitives who think they can escape
justice.
“The arrest today and the arrests and extradition proceedings
against the others show that they cannot escape justice and the
trials that await them in the United States,” he added.
Steven Morales was shot and killed around 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 29,
1998, when he was playing with several other children in front of an
apartment building in the 200 block of South Avenue 58. It was a
drive-by shooting and the intended victims apparently were members
of a rival street gang who were adjacent to where the children were
playing.
Two to three rounds were fired at the Avenues gang members near the
children, authorities said. Steven was hit in the head and collapsed
in the apartment building driveway. He died a day later.
“This has been a long time coming for my kids and me,” said Jack
Morales, Steven’s father. “My wife’s dying wish is complete and
justice for Steven is coming. The Morales family would like to thank
the District Attorney’s office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the
Mexican Government and everyone else w ho has helped to make this
day happen.”
The case against Jara-Luna was filed about a week after the
shooting. He was charged with one count of murder and three counts
of attempted murder. The defendant, now 26, fled to Mexico.
Although he is a U.S. citizen, Mexican authorities twice refused to
deport Jara-Luna in 2001 and again in 2004.
The Morales case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police
Department and representatives also attended the news conference.
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