Police say suspect in shooting death of 4-month-old in Los Angeles jail after Mexico capture
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A suspect in the shooting death of a 4-month-old boy killed after a family baptism celebration was in a Los Angeles County jail Sunday, three days after he was captured in Mexico and 10 months after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Ricardo Hernandez, 24, was being held without bail on suspicion of murder, Los Angeles police said in a statement.
Hernandez, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody in Jalisco, Mexico, on Thursday after Los Angeles police detectives received a tip and alerted Mexican authorities. On Friday he was deported to the U.S., arrested on the outstanding murder warrant and booked at Van Nuys jail.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Law enforcement officials reached Sunday by phone did not know if Hernandez had hired an attorney and it was not clear when he would be arraigned.
Another suspect, 18-year-old Alfonzo Landa, pleaded not guilty to murder in October and remains jailed on more than $9 million bail.
A family friend was sitting in a car and feeding 4-month-old Andrew Garcia with a bottle after a family baptism celebration in the San Fernando Valley on Sept. 27.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police allege that Hernandez and Landa walked by and exchanged words with a gang member standing outside the car, then Hernandez opened fire.
Garcia was declared dead at a hospital with a bullet wound to the head, and two adults — the 18-year-old man standing outside the car and the 28-year-old woman feeding the baby — were wounded.
Landa was arrested about two weeks after the shooting, and about a week later an arrest warrant was issued for Hernandez.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was linked to the crime by both physical evidence and a variety of tips and leads," the Sunday police statement said.
Police said both suspects were reputed gang members.