Man Accused In Girlfriend's 2016 SD Murder Arrested In El Salvador

SAN DIEGO, CA — An ex-Marine accused of murdering his girlfriend in Allied Gardens more than six years ago was in custody Tuesday in El Salvador.

Raymond McLeod, 37, was arrested Monday afternoon and is expected to be extradited to San Diego to face a murder charge stemming from the 2016 killing of 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell.

Mitchell was found dead at an acquaintance's residence in the 7600 block of Mission Gorge Road early on the afternoon of June 10, 2016. Mitchell and McLeod, both residents of Phoenix, Arizona, were in San Diego visiting friends at the time, according to police.

Authorities say McLeod -- who was described by the U.S. Marshals Service as a heavy drinker with a history of domestic violence -- fled to Mexico after Mitchell's death.

McLeod was spotted over the years in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

A $50,000 reward was previously offered for information leading to his capture.

A recent tip informed law enforcement that McLeod was teaching English at a school in the city of Sonsonate.

"This defendant's brazen attempt to evade justice is over and the work to hold him accountable in a court of law for the murder of Krystal Mitchell can now begin," said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, who credited Mitchell's mother, former police detective Josephine Funes Wentzel, with helping spread the word about the killing.

Stephan said Mitchell's mother "never gave up searching for her daughter's killer and worked closely with our office and other law enforcement to make this arrest possible."

— City News Service