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Federal Bureau of Investigation
Return of FBI
Top Ten Fugitive Jose Manuel Garcia Guevara
FBI New Orleans July 30, 2014
Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Michael J. Anderson, FBI New Orleans, and
Sheriff Tony Mancuso, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, are pleased to
announce the return of FBI Top Ten Fugitive Jose Manuel Garcia Guevara
to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
FBI officials were joined by representatives of the Calcasieu Parish
Sheriff’s Office and Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier
in making the announcement of Guevara’s return this morning.
Guevara has been the subject of a manhunt since 2008, when he allegedly
murdered a 26-year-old woman in the presence of her 4-year-old stepson.
Guevara and the victim lived in the same mobile home park. Guevara
allegedly broke into the victim’s home, raped her, and brutally stabbed
her to death. The state of Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, 14th Judicial
District Court, charged Guevara with second-degree murder, aggravated
rape, and aggravated burglary, and a state warrant was issued for his
arrest on April 17, 2008. A federal arrest warrant was issued on
October 1, 2009, by the United States District Court, Western District
of Louisiana, after Guevara was charged federally with unlawful flight
to avoid prosecution. Guevara was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted
Fugitives list on Monday, June 17, 2013.
Guevara surrendered to Mexican authorities as a result of an extensive
and well-coordinated investigation by the Lake Charles Resident Agency
of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office; the FBI Legal Attaché in Mexico
City, Mexico; and special agents of the Diplomatic Security Service
assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Guevara was held in a
secure location by Mexican authorities.
“This fugitive investigation and extradition could not have been
possible without the tremendous cooperation and collaboration of
federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners,”
stated Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI New Orleans.
Accompanied by FBI agents, Guevara arrived on U.S. soil yesterday and
was transported to the local authorities in the Calcasieu Parish
Sheriff’s Office for processing. He will now await arraignment on state
charges.
“This has been six long years for Mrs. Barton’s family, and I am so
pleased Guevara will now face prosecution for the senseless murder of
their loved one, Wanda Barton,” said Sheriff Tony Mancuso. “I would
also like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the FBI
for their assistance in getting Guevara back to Calcasieu Parish, as
well as placing him on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. This
extradition would not have been possible without them.”
“With the large influx of migrant workers coming to the United States,
particularly Calcasieu Parish in the immediate future, it is imperative
that all law enforcement agencies work together to ensure the continued
safety of our citizens,” said Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John
DeRosier. “Workers who come to our state need to understand that they
must obey all of our laws. Anyone harming our citizens will be
subjected to our criminal justice system. The world is a much smaller
place than it was 30 years ago. Criminals can run, hide, and attempt to
avoid discovery, but, eventually, they will be found and brought back
to face justice. Hopefully, we can help bring closure to the Barton
family for this tremendous loss they have suffered.”
Additional information about this case and the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted
Fugitives program can be found online at www.fbi.gov. The list was
established in 1950 and Guevara was the 499th addition. Of the 502
fugitives appearing on the list, 471 have been apprehended or located,
156 which were a result of citizen cooperation.
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