A man suspected of killing his pregnant wife in El Monte back in 2018 has been caught in Mexico and brought back to Los Angeles County, authorities announced Wednesday.
Octavio Curiel-Martinez, 37, a Mexican national, is accused of fatally shooting his wife, identified as Ana Maria Nunez, and their unborn child at a home in the 2700 block of Leafdale Avenue on Aug. 29, 2018.
The victims, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, were pronounced dead at a hospital later that night, according to a news release from the FBI.
There were four children in the household, but none was home.
Soon after the slayings, Curiel-Martinez was named a suspect in that case as well as a separate shooting at a nearby house where his father was standing outside, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated. No one was injured in the second incident.
LASD detectives determined the suspect fled from California to Mexico. Investigators and prosecutors worked with the FBI to locate him.
Mexican police officers arrested Curiel-Martinez on unrelated charges in Bolanos, Jalisco, on May 17, 2019, according to the statement. He was then transported to Mexico City and subsequently extradited to the United States on Jan. 3, 2020, before being booked into the custody of the sheriff’s department, the release read.
U.S. & World
Based on the investigation by LASD and the El Monte Police Department, Curiel-Martinez was charged with two counts of murder; attempted murder; two counts of assault with a firearm; shooting at an inhabited dwelling or occupied car; two counts of corporal injury to spouse; assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury; two counts of felony child endangerment; and six counts of misdemeanor child endangerment.
Neighbors told NBCLA that the couple had been together for several years. Some residents said they had seen indications of previous domestic violence in the household.
