Pair Tracked, Arrested In Mexico For 2014 Double Homicide In Santa Cruz Co.

A homicide suspect at large since last October is back in Santa Cruz County after getting arrested with his girlfriend in a Mexican hotel room Friday, Watsonville police announced at a news conference on Saturday.

Marcos Robles and Samantha Teran, both 23-year-old Watsonville residents, were arrested at a hotel room in Guadalajara, Mexico Friday morning after Mexican authorities were tipped off to Robles’ whereabouts, police said. Teran is Robles’ girlfriend, according to police, and she’s considered an accessory after the murder.

Robles allegedly shot and killed 33-year-old Ramon Rendon in the parking lot of the Valley Inn Motel, 970 Main St. in Watsonville Oct. 10, 2014, according to the FBI.

Jaelyn Zavala, 4, and 26-year-old Emanual Hernandez were both struck by stray bullets in a nearby restaurant.

• Previous coverage:
• 4-Year-Old Girl, Man Shot Dead At Fish House Bar & Grill in Watsonville
• Watsonville Police ID 4-Year-Old Girl & Man Gunned Down At Restaurant
• $20K Reward Offered For Man In 2014 Shooting Death Of Girl, 4

Zavala died from her injuries, according to the FBI.

In August, investigators launched a media campaign in the United States and Mexico offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Robles and Brandon Martinez - who was also allegedly involved in the murder.

Watsonville police detectives working with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI took Robles into custody late Friday night after his transport plane touched down on domestic soil. Robles and Teran have been booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.

The person who tipped off the Mexican authorities is reportedly eligible for the $20,000 reward, according to police.

--Bay City News