CALDWELL, Idaho — After a six-year-long manhunt, police have arrested a man who police say killed a 39-year-old Wilder woman in her home in 2015.
Mexican Federales, with the help of US Marshals, took the 51-year-old Erasmo Diaz into custody in Mexico on Saturday.
Diaz has been wanted for murder by the Canyon County Sheriff's Office since 2015 when an active murder warrant for his arrest was issued.
Police say Diaz allegedly shot and killed his wife, Amparo Godinez Sanchez, just after 11 p.m. on June 11, 2015, in front of their two children at their Wilder home.
Sanchez's family offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of Diaz soon after the murder.
"We want him to know that we're not going to stop until my sister gets justice," Lucia Godinez, Sanchez's sister, told KTVB at the time. "He robbed us of so much and we are never going to stop until he gets caught."
Diaz is a Mexican national but Canyon County officials did not state where in Mexico he was taken into custody by Mexican Federales.
Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue and County County Prosecutor Bryan Talor held a press conference at the Canyon Couty Administration Building in Caldwell on Monday to discuss Diaz's arrest. Brent Bunn, the US Marshal for the District of Idaho, was also at the press conference.
Donahue said he was contacted early Saturday morning and told that Diaz had been located in Mexico but did not give a specific location. He continued to say all involved parties are relieved that Diaz was finally located after six years, calling the search process a "tremendously long team effort."
"This is, yet again, a domestic violence homicide that did not just have one victim," Donahue said during the press conference. "We're very proud to say we now have this person in custody. [Diaz] will face accountability and he will face the justice system."
Talor said the prosecution filed second-degree murder charges against Diaz soon after he allegedly killed his wife. He added that Diaz's arrest warrant does not have a bond.
Because Diaz has rights that extend to another country, Talor said this case is "more complicated" than typical extradition. The timeline is uncertain at this time, and prosecutors are unsure what the progression of the case will look like.
Talor said while Diaz is innocent until proven guilty, he "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent."
Bunn echoed Talor's sentiments.
"We do not forget," he said. "If we have a warrant for you, we're never gonna quit looking for you."
Donahue could not answer specific questions about the case, as it remains open at this time.
Watch the press conference below or on KTVB's YouTube Channel.
Editor's Note: This article will be updated when further information is made available following the press conference. Check back for updates.
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