An international manhunt for a child killer who was on the FBI’s ten most wanted list has ended with his arrest in Nicaragua, law enforcement sources said Friday.
Gangbanger Juan Elias Garcia, 19, who fatally shot a Long Island mother and her toddler son execution-style, surrendered to authorities Thursday at the U.S. Embassy in the capital city of Managua, the sources said.
Authorities are now making preparations to extradite Garcia to New York to face charges, sources said.
On Tuesday, the FBI held a press conference outside Brooklyn federal court, announcing a $100,000 reward for his capture.
“Garcia’s callous disregard for human life resulted in the senseless murder of a young mother and her helpless 2-year-old son,” said George Venizelos, assistant director in charge of the agency’s New York field office. “His appointment to the FBI’s Top Ten list illustrates not only the seriousness of his crimes but our commitment to seeking justice for his victims.”
Garcia, a member of the MS-13 gang, was dating the 19-year-old victim, Vanessa Argueta, who had ties to two rival gangs — the 18th Street gang and Latin Kings, the FBI said.
He lured Argueta and her son into the woods in Central Islip and shot them both execution-style.