Man wanted for 2011 Pomona killing caught, extradited from Mexico
After more than two and a half years on the run, a Pomona man is expected to face charges for a 2011 fatal drive-by shooting, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.
Ruben Vargas, 37, is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 14 on a murder charge in the 2011 shooting death of Lina Romero, 31.
Pomona police say Vargas and 27-year-old Andrew Alvarez drove by a home in the 600 block of Illinois Street and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into a home, hitting Romero, who was inside.
She died about a month later in the hospital, turning the case into a homicide.
Alvarez was arrested soon after the shooting and has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Vargas allegedly fled to Mexico after the killing and was captured by authorities last week in Ensenada. He was extradited and is being held in Los Angeles County jail in lieu of $2 million bail, according to Sheriff’s Department records.
“We never give up and never stop looking for any outstanding murder suspects, even if they run and hide in Mexico,” said Pomona homicide Det. Greg Freeman in a statement.
In a related note, Pomona police are offering $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in any of Pomona’s 2013 homicides. Nearly 30 people have been killed in the city this year, police said.
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