Atwater homicide suspect captured in Mexico

A man suspected of killing an Atwater teenager was arrested in Mexico and has been booked into the Merced County Jail, Atwater police officials confirmed Wednesday.

Eric Cruz Madero, 19, is the prime suspect in the Jan. 30 slaying of 18-year-old Sergio Avelar, who was stabbed to death in a room at the Applegate Inn on Sycamore Avenue in Atwater, police Lt. Samuel Joseph told the Sun-Star.

“He was picked up last week in Mexico and was transferred to jails in Southern California and was brought to (Merced County on Wednesday),” Joseph said in a telephone interview.

It was unclear where exactly in Mexico authorities found Cruz Madero. Details of the arrest were unavailable. Joseph said Atwater police worked with Mexican authorities and the U.S. Marshals Service to capture Cruz Madero.

Joseph described Cruz Madero as a known gang member in Atwater and said investigators still are looking into the possibility the homicide may have been gang-related. However, he said he couldn’t elaborate on possible motives in the killing.

Avelar and Cruz Madero were in a motel room around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 30 along with several other people when violence erupted and Avelar was stabbed, police said. Investigators have said the gathering may have been some type of party.

A warrant for Cruz Madero’s arrest was issued in February and investigators have been searching for him since.

Cruz Madero was booked at 1:28 p.m. Wednesday into the Merced County Jail without bail on suspicion of murder, according to booking records.

Joseph praised the work conducted by the other law enforcement agencies and singled out Atwater police Detective Anthony Cardoza, the lead investigator in the case, for his continuous efforts to track down Cruz Madero.

This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Atwater homicide suspect captured in Mexico."