Spanish Police Capture Camden Co. Fugitive Wanted For Homicide: Prosecutor

BARCELONA — A fugitive wanted for homicide in Camden was arrested Friday in Spain, authorities said.

Felix De La Cruz-Arias, 30, of Brooklyn, shot two men in Camden last March, killing one of them, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. He was charged with murder a few weeks later but hadn't been arrested.

During the fugitive investigation, the prosecutor's office determined that De La Cruz-Arias fled to Spain.

Spanish National Police arrested him Friday in Barcelona.

The charges stem from a March 12 incident, when officers responded to a home on the 300 block of Morse Street in Camden.

Two people had been shot, authorities said. One of the victims — Josue Hiraldo-Peralta, 32, of Camden — was found outside on the ground. Officers located a second shooting victim at a nearby home, according to prosecutors.

• Related: Double Shooting Kills Man, Critically Wounds Another In Camden

Both victims were brought to Cooper University Hospital, where Hiraldo-Peralta was pronounced dead minutes later. The second victim survived.

After further investigation, De La Cruz-Arias was charged April 4 with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Before he died, Hiraldo-Peralta told two witnesses that he was shot by the person who used to live in the house, "Peluche," according to an affidavit of probable cause. Authorities later identified Peluche as De La Cruz-Arias.

It's unclear whether authorities have determined a motive in the case.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect pulling up to the home in a vehicle, entering through the back door and then leaving after the shooting to drive to Philadelphia, the affidavit says.

De La Cruz-Arias's car was found two days later in Philadelphia, but his location was unknown.

The prosecutor's office later determined that De La Cruz-Arias fled to Spain.

Almost a year later, Spanish National Police arrested him. The law-enforcement agency collaborated with the international departments of the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Department of Justice.

De La Cruz-Arias is detained at a correctional facility in Spain, prosecutors said. Authorities will work to have him extradited to the United States.

Attorney information for De La Cruz-Arias was unavailable in online court records.

U.S. Marshal Nicholas Ricigliano lauded Spanish authorities for their assistance.

"The Spanish National Police are to be commended for tenaciously pursuing this fugitive while working hand in hand with the U.S. Marshals Service," Ricigliano said in a statement. "Through strong international partnerships, our ability to locate and apprehend fugitives beyond our borders is unmatched."

Anyone with information can contact Det. Cody Skinner of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 856-580-6053 and Det. Matthew Blantz of the Camden County Police Department at 609-923-6853. Tips can also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.

Fugitives Captures In Foreign Countries

In recent years, two other suspects wanted in Camden County have been captured in foreign nations.

Last February, a Gloucester Township man accused of sexually assaulting a child between 2012 and 2018 was captured in Mexico. Brian J. Rivers Jr. was on the run for nearly six years, authorities said.

Another suspect, Edward Deveaux, robbed three South Jersey banks within a week in September 2022, authorities said. He flew to Europe the next day and was arrested last year in Ukraine.