Highlights
- Abraham Rafael Pedroza-Garcia, 65, was extradited to Arizona on Sept. 11, 2026, after fleeing a 2000 Phoenix stabbing murder.
- Federal investigators located Pedroza-Garcia living in Mexico in 2024; a Mexican arrest warrant was issued in April and he was caught in May.
- He faces charges of murder, aggravated assault, and burglary in connection with the April 1, 2000, killing of his ex-girlfriend.
- The Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Attorney's Office enlisted the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force in 2023 to revive the cold case.
A 65-year-old fugitive wanted for a 2000 Phoenix stabbing murder was returned to Arizona on Friday after spending more than two decades across the border, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Abraham Rafael Pedroza-Garcia was extradited to Arizona on Sept. 11, 2026, to face pending charges of murder, aggravated assault, and burglary. Federal investigators said Pedroza-Garcia stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death and stabbed her partner inside her home on April 1, 2000, then fled. An arrest warrant was issued for him on Sept. 13, 2000.
The case went cold for more than two decades before the Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Attorney's Office asked the U.S. Marshals Service District of Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force for help in 2023. Detectives learned in 2024 that Pedroza-Garcia was living in Mexico. A Mexican arrest warrant was issued in April and he was caught in May, then returned to Arizona without incident, as FOX 10 Phoenix and 12 News also reported.
Why did it take until 2023 to revive the investigation?
The source material does not specify why the case was dormant for more than two decades before the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and Phoenix PD sought Marshals Service involvement in 2023. What the record shows is that once federal investigators joined, they located Pedroza-Garcia in Mexico within roughly a year and secured his extradition within two.
U.S. Marshal Van Bayless said in a written statement that the outcome reflects cooperation across multiple agencies and jurisdictions. "This case demonstrates that the passage of time and international borders will not prevent law enforcement from pursuing those accused of violent crimes and bringing them before the court," Bayless said.
Perdroza-Garcia is now in custody and transferred to face the pending charges. No arraignment date was included in the Marshals Service release.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 11/09/2026 22:39
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 11/09/2026 22:39. Every claim traces to a source.
