The illegal immigrant fugitive wanted in the murder of a California police officer is in custody Friday after being on the run for more than two days, Fox News confirms.
Police arrested the man — identified by the Stanislaus County Sheriff as Gustavo Perez Arriaga — near Bakersfield.
That’s about 280 miles southeast of Newman, where Police Cpl. Ronil Singh was gunned down early Wednesday.
Related: Illegal Fugitive Kills Legal Immigrant Cop in California
The arrest was also confirmed by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose department has been handling the case, told reporters at a news conference that Arriaga is from Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally after previously crossing the border in Arizona.
It wasn’t clear when that happened; however, Christianson said the suspect had been in the country for several years and was seeking to cross back over the border before the shooting occurred.
Officer Singh’s brother breaks down after learning the alleged cop killer has been arrested while trying to make it to Mexico. The suspect was placed into custody in Officer Singh’s handcuffs #ABCNews pic.twitter.com/DeY8T7N7op
— Will Carr (@WillCarr) December 28, 2018
The suspect had known gang affiliations, as well as two prior DUI arrests, Christianson said.
The suspect was stopped by Singh for a DUI investigation before engaging in a gunfight with the officer, during which Singh tried to defend himself, Christianson said at a separate news conference Thursday.
The announcement of it came nearly a day after Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson made an emotional plea for the suspect to turn himself in.
“A coward took his life,” Richardson said.
“We need closure. His family needs closure.”
The suspect may have connections to a violent Mexican-American street gang, according to an image circulating on social media confirmed as authentic by investigators early Friday.
Related: Trump Threatens Southern Border Shutdown
The photo shows the alleged “cop killer” posing in a tank-top shirt, with a metal chain necklace draped around his neck and a large flaming skull tattoo visible on his right arm.
Underneath the tattoo is the word “$ur3no$,” which, according to police in Washington State, is Spanish for “southerners.”
“Sureños are a group of Mexican-American street gangs with origins in southern California (south of Bakersfield),” reads a profile on the group in a police gang recognition guide. “The gang has allegiance to the [California] prison gang, Mexican Mafia, aka “La Eme”.
The gang recently has been blamed for murders and human smuggling crimes along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Christianson said Thursday that police have possession of a truck believed to have been driven by the suspect in Singh’s killing.
The man appears to have at least five Facebook profiles, each with a different alias.
Four of the pages say he is from Mexico’s Colima State on its Pacific Coast and contain images of him with the “Sureños” tattoo and silver chain necklace visible.
Some of the pages are Facebook “friends” with one another.
One of the profiles purportedly belonging to the individual contains numerous images of pistols and weapons, and several images of him crossing his arms while holding a pistol.
The murdered officer, who joined the force in the summer of 2011, was remembered fondly by the Newman police chief, who said Singh “truly loved what he did.”
Singh was a native of Fiji and left behind a wife and five-month-old son.
The officer, who joined the force in the summer of 2011, was remembered fondly by the Newman police chief, who said Singh “truly loved what he did.”
“He came to this country with one purpose, and that was to serve this country,” Richardson said.
The Stanislaus Sworn Deputies Association has established a memorial fund in Singh’s honor.
Fox News’ William LaJeunesse contributed to this Fox News report, which is used by permission.
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