LA man accused of killing his wife and abducting child apprehended in Mexico

Mexican law enforcement apprehended a Los Angeles man accused of murdering his wife and abducting their child before fleeing the country.

The Los Angeles Police Department stated that Mexican officials, in collaboration with federal officers, had been looking for Ruben Fregoso for the past two weeks after he crossed the border with his 5-year-old daughter, Daleyza Fregoso.

According to law authorities, Daleyza Fregoso was located safe and will be reunited with family members in the following days. Ruben Fregoso is being extradited and will face charges upon his return to LA County.

“The Los Angeles Police Department thanked Mexican officials, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service for their help in this investigation, according to a statement.

According to the LA County District Attorney’s Office, Ruben Fregoso is charged with one count of murder and one misdemeanor crime of child abuse under circumstances other than serious bodily injury or death.

If convicted, Ruben Fregoso may face a term ranging from 25 to life in prison. The murder of a mother and the kidnapping of a young child are acts of violence that shock the entire community,” LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “I cannot imagine the grief and fear that the innocent child faced as she was allegedly snatched after her mother was killed.”

Ruben Fregoso allegedly killed his 36-year-old partner, Marisol Garcia Palacios, on or around May 25 before fleeing to Mexico with the couple’s daughter.