Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation have arrested Marcos Daniel Robles, 23, on suspicion of his involvement in the October 2014 killing of a man and a 4-year-old Watsonville girl.
Jaelyn Zavala was eating with her family at a restaurant when a stray bullet from a gang fight pierced the window and killed her around 11:55 p.m. Oct. 10, police said.
Police say that Robles fired the shots with the intention of killing a rival gang member, who died from gunshot wounds sustained in a motel parking lot near the restaurant.
The FBI has been searching for Robles since the shooting occurred. They say a tip was given to them via Facebook after they offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
FBI officials in Guadalajara worked with the Federal Police and Mexican immigration officials to confirm the veracity of the tip, police say. Eventually, it led to the Robles' arrest last friday in Guadalajara. His girlfriend Samantha Teran, 23, who is facing charges for aiding a criminal, was also nabbed.
Both Teran and Robles are former residents of Watsonville and are currently being held at Santa Cruz County Jail.
"This case demonstrates the FBI will never stop its pursuit of the fugitives," said Special Agent David Johnson, who is in charge of the FBI’s San Francisco field office. "Criminals cannot evade justice by merely crossing the border."
