KGUN 9NewsNational News

Actions

Pinal County homicide suspect found in Mexico, arrested in connection to 2007 case

Oscar Tejeda-Mejia
Posted at 5:48 PM, Jan 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-15 19:48:05-05

PINAL COUNTY, AZ — Pinal County Sheriff's Office says a suspect in a cold case homicide has been arrested after being located in Mexico.

Oscar Tejeda-Mejia was identified as a suspect following the 2007 murder of 37-year-old Arturo Martinez-Altamirano. The victim was reportedly found in a desert area in Stanfield by hunters in October of that year. 

PCSO says Tejeda-Mejia was unable to be located until the cold case was reopened by detectives in 2017. Investigators learned he was living in Mexico and someone close to him was able to get a DNA sample. The DNA sample reportedly positively matched DNA from the murder case. 

U.S. Marshals and INTERPOL located Tejeda-Mejia and brought him to Arizona on Wednesday to be booked into jail on a first-degree murder charge.