Manhunt Ends in Arrest of Suspect in Santa Ana Slaying

A 16-day manhunt ended Sunday with the arrest of a 38-year-old Santa Ana man who was being sought in connection with the shooting death of his ex-wife’s boyfriend, police said.

Jose Fortunato Vasquez, who had been described as armed and dangerous, was spotted by Santa Ana police driving along the 400 block of East 1st Street at 9:50 a.m. He was arrested after a short chase that ended outside his ex-wife’s home, said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Ed Andrade. Vasquez was driving the blue van that was allegedly used in the slaying, Andrade said.

Vasquez was wanted for the shooting death of Faustino Sanchez Venegas, 22, of Santa Ana, Andrade said. Venegas was gunned down Sept. 23 outside an apartment in the 300 block of South Oak Street in the southeast area of the city. The shooting occurred at the same apartment complex where Francisca Pereida Soto, Vasquez’s former common-law wife, lived.

Venegas was placing tools in the trunk of his car when a man identified by police as Vasquez drove up in the van and shot him. After being shot, Venegas ran about 30 to 50 feet to the apartment’s front door, where he collapsed and died, police said.

“There was some sort of relationship” between Venegas and Soto, Andrade said. “The preliminary investigation indicated that Vasquez was upset about his former common-law wife and her refusal to return to him.”

Vasquez has spent time in prison on a narcotics-related charge, police said.

On Sunday, Vasquez initially sped away in his van after being spotted by police but was apprehended about 20 minutes later when he stopped at the Oak Street apartment complex, Andrade said. He was arrested without incident while attempting to get out of the vehicle and is being held at Santa Ana Jail, Andrade said.