Man Fled To Mexico After Allegedly Stabbing His Wife in 1999, Police Say He Was Recently Caught
Nov. 25 2022, Published 1:02 p.m. ET
Nearly 25 years after a man allegedly killed his estranged wife, police say they arrested the suspected killer.
This week, police announced that Francisco Arellano, 27, was arrested in connection to the cold-case murder of his wife, 32-year-old Blanca Duenas-Arellano, in 1999.
On July 26, 1999, police in Yuba City, California, responded to a home for a reported homicide. There, investigators determined the victim had been stabbed to death.
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Arellano fled to Mexico after the killing, police said. Officers had an arrest warrant but couldn’t find him for the next two decades.
In 2019, investigators learned Arellano was living near Morales, Mexico. He was arrested in June and extradited to the U.S. this month. He is being held in jail without bond on a homicide charge.
“The Yuba City Police Department hopes the arrest of Mr. Arellano helps to bring closure to Blanca Duenas’ family,” police said in announcing the arrest.
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