A suspect wanted in a 2012 Northern California homicide tried to sneak into California with an altered form of identification, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers said.
Sunday, a 37-year-old man, later identified as Francisco Javier Navarro, arrived at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, officers said.
He handed the CBP officer a legal permanent resident card; the photo on the card matched the man, officers said, but the man was sent for a secondary inspection because the officer suspected his card was fraudulent.
When officers took the man's fingerprints, they confirmed the man was actually Navarro, a fugitive wanted on an outstanding warrant in connection with a homicide. Officers discovered Navarro's legal document, which had a different name, had been altered.
Navarro was wanted in connection with the shooting of his brother-in-law on Christmas Eve 2012, the Salinas Police Department said in their warrant, according to CBP.
“We are pleased that we can help bring closure to this outstanding homicide case from more than three years ago,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office, in a statement. “CBP officers caught this fugitive as he attempted to illegally sneak back into the U.S., and now he will face justice.”
Navarro, a Mexican citizen, has no legal ability to enter the U.S., officers said. He was temporarily paroled into the U.S. and booked into jail to face charges.
