A fugitive who had been on the run for five years was arrested in Mexico Wednesday in connection with the 2012 fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Fontana girl who was celebrating her birthday.
Angel Delgado, 22, was taken into custody in Mexicali after he was seen leaving a residence, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Thursday.
Delgado was one of four people suspected in the shooting death of Ashley Caldera, who was gunned down on May 26, 2012, while celebrating her 16th birthday at Northgate Park in Fontana, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators said four people walked up to a group of juveniles at the birthday party and an argument started.
“One of the suspects asked the group of juveniles, “Where are you from?” and then opened fire with a handgun,” the news release stated.
Caldera was shot in the head and died at the scene.
After the shooting, investigators identified and arrested three suspects at different times.
Delgado, who was also identified as a suspect, was released after being interviewed, sheriff’s officials said. Investigators later determined he was involved in Caldera’s shooting, but he had already fled the country.
Investigators received a tip in January 2014 about Delgado living with family in Mexico, but the trail went cold. In April 2017 another tip directed detectives back to Mexico and authorities began surveilling Delgado for several months until he was arrested Wednesday by the Baja State Police Policia Estatal Preventive.
While Delgado was on the run the other three suspects were convicted and sentenced in Caldera’s killing, sheriff’s officials said.
Delgado was extradited back to the United States and booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
He was being held on $5 million bail and expected to be arraigned Friday.