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It worked for the Grim Sleeper, and now the FBI is turning once again to some big ad space in Los Angeles to help them apprehend Joe Luis Saenz, one of their "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives." A billboard was made visible yesterday near the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Soto Avenues, with information for contacting authorities regarding Saenz.
This is the fourth time the FBI have used a billboard in L.A. to help bring in a high-profile criminal. Saenz has been on the Los Angeles Police Department's radar in the late 1990s, when he was identified as the suspect in the 1998 murder of two men in the Hollenbeck area. "Less than two weeks later, Saenz is believed to have kidnapped, raped, and murdered his girlfriend, who was also the mother of his child," the FBI explain via email.
Saenz is also wanted for the October 2008 murder, of Oscar Torres, who was killed in his Whittier home, likely in conjunction with a drug debt. He is also thought to have shot and wounded a second person that evening. Saenz is also wanted for questioning regarding numerous other crimes.
An arrest warrant for Saenz was issued in 1998, but authorities determined he had fled the country. They believe he could be living in Mexico today. He is believed to be a "major enforcer" and hit man for a Mexican drug cartel who import cocaine into L.A. Some say he has expressed willingness to kill law enforcement officers who approach him.
