A man accused of murdering his girlfriend and abducting their five-year-old daughter before fleeing to Mexico has been arrested and faces extradition to the United States, the Los Angeles Police Department announced.
Ruben Fregoso, 40, was apprehended in Mexico over the weekend, according to a news release from the LAPD. Authorities allege that Fregoso killed his 36-year-old girlfriend and their daughter, Daleza Fregoso, then fled the country. The child, a U.S. citizen, was located safely and is currently in the custody of Mexican officials.
The child is anticipated to be reunited with her family in Los Angeles shortly, while legal proceedings for Fregoso's extradition commence. Prosecutors in Los Angeles County have charged Fregoso, identified in court documents as Ruben Fregosojuarez, with one count of murder and one misdemeanor count of child abuse.
The search for Daleza Fregoso began on May 25, prompting an Amber Alert across Southern California. Earlier that day, officers responding to a welfare check at a residence on South Alsace Avenue in West Adams discovered the body of Marysol Garcia, identified as the child's mother. Police stated Garcia died from injuries sustained due to violence, and her daughter was missing.
Following the Amber Alert, Fregoso's 2019 Land Rover Discovery was found abandoned near the U.S.-Mexico border. If convicted of the charges, Fregoso faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.
