One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
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.
FBI Rounds Up Two Murder Suspects in Mexico
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.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
