Suspect in 3 Camarillo slayings held in Mexico
Extradition hearing awaits man captured near Acapulco
By Avi Rutschman Avi@theacorn.com

Rudolfo Negrete, 24, a Mexican national and one time resident of Oxnard, was arrested outside of Acapulco, Mexico two weeks ago for his part in the 2004 slayings of three individuals in Camarillo.

"We knew all along that he had fled to Mexico, it was just a matter of finding him," said Capt. Ron Nelson of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Negrete was wanted in connection with the slayings of David Campos and Alex Jordan, 24, and Jordan's wife, Cynthia Jordan, 22. All three were shot execution-style on the night of April 17, 2004.

The case, which was featured on a 2005 episode of "America's Most Wanted," initially baffled investigators.

Witnesses later revealed that the night he was slain, Campos, who reportedly had no gang connections, had been riding in a car with Negrete and Jose Manuel Ramirez. Campos was shot in the back of the head when he left the vehicle.

Ramirez was arrested and served two years in the Ventura County jail for his part in Campos' slaying.

On the night Campos was killed, Negrete parted with Ramirez before meeting Alex and Cynthia Jordan at a gas station, police said. According to officials, Negrete robbed and killed the couple. Their car was found burned two days later.

Authorities attributed the capture of Negrete to the collaboration among Ventura County Sheriff's investigators, U.S. marshals and Mexican federal police.

Negrete "would not have been arrested if it had not been for the excellent cooperation between all agencies," Nelson said. "Cooperation doesn't always take place to this degree."

The U.S. Marshal's Service's Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force was able to locate Negrete with the help of citizen tips and careful surveillance. He was spotted leaving a house outside Acapulco on Oct. 20 and was arrested by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement officials.

"The interagency cooperation on this case was outstanding, and we established some very important relationships," said Cmdr. John Clark of the U.S. Marshal's Service. "The relationship is very much a two-way street. We've arrested a few murder suspects wanted in Mexico in the past few weeks."

Negrete is being held by Mexican authorities and is awaiting an extradition hearing.

"The extradition process can take a very long time, anywhere from several weeks to a couple of months," Nelson said.

Once he is extradited to the United States, Negrete will be held in Ventura County for trial.

"This case has helped to establish important relationships that we can utilize in the future," Nelson said.