Santa Maria murder suspect arrested in Las Vegas
KSBY
and last updated 2021-07-01 19:14:43-04
Santa Maria police say the suspect in a deadly shooting in May was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Alfredo Alaniz Jr. was wanted in connection with the murder of Mario Angel Merino Gonzalez of Guadalupe.
Santa Maria Police Department
Alfredo Alaniz, Jr.
Early in the morning on May 16, 2021, police responded to a shooting in the area of Lincoln and Mill streets. Gonzalez was found dead in the street.
Investigators said the 19-year-old had apparently been involved in an argument with a group of people before he was shot.
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On Wednesday, police detectives tracked Alfredo Alaniz Jr., 21, of Santa Maria to a residence in Las Vegas, Sgt. Andy Magallon said.
“With the assistance of the local authorities in Las Vegas, Alaniz was taken into custody without incident,” Magallon said.
A subsequent search warrant was served as detectives continue investigating the killing.
Alaniz was booked into a Nevada jail on suspicion of murder pending extradition back to California.
He remained in custody in Clark County on Thursday and reportedly has a court hearing July 6 in Las Vegas, according to Nevada government websites.
Santa Maria detectives have asked that anyone with information about the killing call the Police Department at 805.928.3781, ext. 2277, or the department s tip line at 805.928.3781, ext. 2766.
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They also are still searching for the suspect in another homicide that occurred in the same vicinity on May 16, 2021.
Mario Angel Merino Gonzalez, 19, of Guadalupe was pronounced dead at the scene of that shooting, police said.
The suspect in that investigation has been identified as Alfredo Alaniz Jr, 21, of Santa Maria.
Alaniz has a tattoo of a S on his right cheek and a tattoo of a ship on the left side of his head.
Police said there is no indication that the two shootings were related.
Last weekend’s shooting marked the sixth homicide investigated by Santa Maria in 2021.
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