Man Arrested in Mexico for 2005 Murder in Riverside After Nearly Two Decades on the Run
SEATTLE – In Riverside, California, police detained a man accused of murder in connection with a crime committed nearly two decades earlier.
Luis Contreras, 50, was arrested by Mexican officials in Mexicali on July 8 and has since been extradited to Riverside County to face charges. Contreras is the major suspect in the 2005 murder of 38-year-old Vera, who was discovered dead from numerous gunshot wounds inside a residence on the 4700 block of Doane Avenue in Riverside.
According to eyewitnesses, Vera attempted to stop Contreras from hitting his girlfriend on the street. Contreras allegedly intervened and shot Vera several times before fleeing the scene.
Three people were thought to be involved in the case, two of whom were caught weeks after Vera was killed. One was charged with accessory to murder and sentenced to three years in jail, while no charges were made against the second suspect owing to a lack of evidence.
Detectives said witnesses saw two automobiles leave the location, but despite their attempts, they were unable to locate Contreras before he proceeded to Mexico.
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The Riverside Police Department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit resumed the search for Contreras in June, and they worked with the department’s METRO Team and the United States Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force to make the arrest.
Just a few weeks later, U.S. Marshals and Mexican law enforcement apprehended Contreras in Mexicali and brought him to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department jail, where he was arrested for murder and is currently awaiting trial.