Suspect in 2016 California killing captured in El Salvador

San Diego (newscasttheyn) – An Arizona man wanted for killing his girlfriend in San Diego in 2016 was detained in El Salvador, the United States Marshal said.

Raymond McLeod, 37, who was on the US Marshal’s 15 Most Wanted List, was taken into custody by local law enforcement on Monday afternoon and confirmed his identity to US officials, the service said in a statement. .

Officers learned that McLeod was teaching English at a school in the town of Sonsonet.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said McLeod was taken to a San Diego prison on Wednesday after being taken away from El Salvador and will be arrested on Friday. It was not immediately known whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the allegations.

McLeod, a former US Marine, is accused of murdering 30-year-old Crystal Mitchell. McLeod and Mitchell both lived in Phoenix, but were visiting a friend in San Diego at the time.

In this photo released by the US Marshals Service, there is a wanted poster of Raymond McLeod, who has been arrested. The US Marshals Service says an Arizona man wanted for killing his girlfriend in San Diego in 2016 was detained in El Salvador. The report says Raymond McLeod, 37, was arrested by local law enforcement on Monday, August 29, 2022, and his identity has been confirmed by US officials. (United States Marshal Service via AP)

On June 10, 2016, the friend found Michelle unable to breathe and paramedics pronounced him dead. Killer investigators find signs of conflict.

“They determined that Michelle was last seen alive with her boyfriend, MacLeod,” the statement read.

San Diego County prosecutors charged McLeod with murder and an arrest warrant was issued.

The US Marshals Service then conducted a search for McLeod, who they claimed had fled Mexico to Central America. They were reportedly in Guatemala in 2017 and Belize in 2018.

He was offered a $ 50,000 reward for the information that led to his capture and added her to the 15 Most Wanted list.

Michelle’s mother, Josephine Wenzel, told NewsNation Associate KSWB After her arrest, her family breathed a sigh of relief.

“When Marshall called me, we just cried,” he said.

For Wentzel, the past six years have been like a mother’s nightmare.

“It was a bright, shining light on this earth. She was funny, friendly, caring, “she said.

Wentzel, who is also a former law enforcement officer, teamed up with the marshals to hunt down McLeod.

“I just prayed that … I would see her in prison so that my children would know and that her children would know that I did everything possible to get justice for their mother,” she said.

The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate KSWB of San Diego contributed to this report.

Source

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *