KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsOklahoma authorities arrest Iowa murder suspect
Member Center:
DENISON, Iowa (KTIV) -- Oklahoma authorities say they've arrested a man in connection with an Iowa man's death.
Back in February, the body of 27-year-old Lorenzo Nambo Garcia was found with gunshot wounds in a ditch near Dow City, Iowa.
He had been reported missing in early January. Authorities have been searching for a killer ever since.
Today, a break in the case.
Authorities in Oklahoma say 20-year-old Luis Angel Trujillo-Mendez was taken into custody on immigration charges and is now charged with first degree murder for the death of Garcia.
For police, the case started when a passerby spotted the 27-year-old Garcia's body in a ditch off of Highway 30 near Dow City.
The state medical examiners office determined Garcia had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Authorities say a witness came forward, saying he had seen the suspect, Mendez, drive by Garcia's residence in January.
That's when authorities executed a search warrant for Mendez' home.
"In Luis' residence, a pistol and ammunition were recovered. A wallet belonging to the victim was also recovered during the search," said Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler.
Both the pistol and ammunition were determined a match to Garcia's gunshot wound.
DNA matching Garcia's was found as well. Right now, Mendez is jailed in Oklahoma.
Authorities say he should be back in Crawford County, Iowa within two to three weeks.
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
Click here to track storms right down to your street with KTIV.com's new interactive radar and storm tracking tools.
