Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

FBI Rounds Up Two Murder Suspects in Mexico

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

This week the long arm of the law caught up with two fugitives in Mexico wanted for unrelated murders in Los Angeles, according to a statement issued by the FBI.

Jose Luis Munoz was on the FBI Most Wanted listfor a rap sheet that dates back to at least 1998 and includes four murders. One of those includes his own girlfriend, who he was accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering in 1998.

Authorities also consider him a suspect in the recent murder of Willie Thornton, 59, who was shot while driving in his car in Leimert Park this month. He is also suspected of working for a Mexican drug cartel.

The Munoz arrest is part of new effort to crack unsolved homicides in LA:

The Munoz case is being investigated by the recently renewed Save Our Streets Task Force (S.O.S.), a 90-day initiative by LAPD Detectives and FBI Agents, formed to focus on unsolved homicides in the city of Los Angeles throughout the summer.

The other fugitive caught this week was Fernando DeJesus Ochoa, who is a suspect in the 2008 murder of Alfred McMullin on the streets of Wilmington.

Both men are currently in the custody of the LAPD.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right