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LASD deputy murder suspect captured in Mexico
Roberto Salazar, the last of six suspects accused of murdering LASD deputy Juan Escalante in 2008, has been captured in Mexico.
LOS ANGELES - The final defendant in the 2008 murder of an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been returned to the United States from Mexico.
Roberto Salazar, 38, is the last of six people charged in the killing of Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, who was gunned down in Los Angeles.
Deputy Juan Escalante was shot and killed when he was confronted by two armed gang members in front of his home as he was leaving for work on Aug. 2, 2008. / Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The backstory:
On August 2, 2008, Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, a 27-year-old father of three, was shot and killed while leaving his parents' home in the Cypress Park neighborhood on his way to work.
Escalante, a former U.S. Army reservist, had been a sheriff's deputy for 2 1/2 years.
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Investigators initially suspected his death was related to his work at the Men's Central Jail, but authorities later determined that the defendants mistook him for a rival gang member.
According to sheriff's officials, Escalante identified himself as a deputy before he was shot.
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Final suspect arrested in 2008 murder of LA deputy
Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles announced the capture of Roberto Salazar, the final defendant in the 2008 murder of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.
Gang members previously convicted in murder of Deputy Escalante
Five reputed Avenues gang members were previously convicted in connection with the killing.
Arnoldo Pineda, who testified that he was ordered at gunpoint to drive to the Cypress Park neighborhood where Escalante was slain, pleaded no contest in September 2010 to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 14 years.
Guillermo Hernandez, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, pleaded no contest in April 2012 to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 21 years in state prison. He waived credit for three years he had already served behind bars.
Armando Albarran pleaded guilty in 2015 to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
The gunman, Carlos Javier "Stoney" Velasquez, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty in October 2012 to first-degree murder. He also admitted a special circumstance allegation that the murder was carried out to further the activities of a criminal street gang and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Co-defendant Jose Renteria was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced in March 2013 to life in prison without parole for supplying Velasquez with the handgun used in the killing.
Salazar was the final defendant in the case. He was booked Wednesday morning and is being held without bail. He faces life in prison.
Salazar is believed to be the passenger in the suspect's vehicle. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Salazar managed to elude capture for years, despite numerous attempts by authorities to arrest him. In March of this year, Mexican authorities working with the US Marshals Service, located and arrested Salazar three hours south of Mexico City. After months of legal proceedings, he was finally extradited to the US.
Timeline:
- August 2, 2008: Deputy Juan Abel Escalante is shot and killed.
- September 2010: Arnoldo Pineda pleads no contest to voluntary manslaughter.
- April 2012: Guillermo Hernandez pleads no contest to voluntary manslaughter.
- October 2012: Carlos Javier "Stoney" Velasquez, the gunman, pleads guilty to first-degree murder and is sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- March 2013: Co-defendant Jose Renteria is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- 2015: Armando Albarran pleads guilty to first-degree murder and is sentenced to 25 years to life.
- Wednesday, August 13, 2025: Roberto Salazar, the final defendant, is returned to the U.S. and booked into jail.
26 fugitives taken into custody
Dig deeper:
Salazar was among more than two dozen fugitives returned from Mexico to the U.S.
The fugitives face a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country, including charges relating to drug-trafficking, hostage-taking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, human smuggling, and money laundering. Among those taken into custody are leaders of drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas).
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The Source: This report is based on information from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the extradition of Roberto Salazar. Details about the killing and the investigations are sourced from sheriff's officials, while the timeline of previous convictions comes from court records.