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MOAB, Utah, Nov. 1, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A man wanted after a Moab homicide has been taken into custody in Arizona.
Irving Martin Verduzco-Armenta, aka Omar Guerra, was apprehended Wednesday by officers with the Navajo Nation Police Department, Tuba City and Kayenta Districts, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol.
Arizona officers pursued Verduzco-Armenta nearly 100 miles, according to a statement from the Moab Police Department.
Verduzco-Armenta, 30, is suspected of killing Edgar Najera in Moab on Sunday.
“At approximately 20:00 hours, a Navajo Nation police officer responded to a report of suspicious activity involving three Hispanic males,” the Moab Police statement says.
“The officer located the suspects and engaged in a brief vehicle pursuit before losing sight of them on a dirt road near Tuba City. Sometime later, another officer located their vehicle parked on the side of the highway.
“The subjects fled and another pursuit was initiated, this time involving multiple officers. The pursuit continued for nearly 100 miles before the suspect vehicle overheated and became disabled, at which time all three suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers pursued the subjects and apprehended two of
them in a field, and the third in a residential area.”
In addition to Verduzco-Armenta, Jaime Flores-Solis and Jorge Hernandez were taken into custody on multiple charges stemming from the suspicious activity report and the subsequent pursuit.
“Flores-Solis and Hernandez are both Moab residents and are believed to be involved in the homicide of Mr. Najera,” the news release states. “Investigators with the Moab City Police Department believe that Flores-Solis and Hernandez conspired to conceal and/or transport Verduzco-Armenta subsequent to the homicide.”
On Sunday, Moab police were called to to the victim’s trailer on a report of a fight in progress.
“When officers arrived they were contacted by a resident and led to a trailer where they discovered an individual (Najera) deceased from apparent multiple gunshot wounds,” a news release put out Sunday says.
Following the arrests, Moab police offered their thanks.
“Moab Police offered their thanks Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety for their tremendous response and assistance in apprehending these three very dangerous suspects.”
