NAMPA - The suspect in the fatal shooting of a man in Nampa on June 22 was arrested Thursday afternoon in Washington state, Nampa police said.
Jesus "AJ" Avila, 31, was arrested in Yakima after agencies there developed information about Avila's possible whereabouts, police said. They were able to confirm Avila's location and apprehend him without incident.
Police said 25-year-old Alabama resident Ricardo Keith was driving a pickup near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Ivy Street when he was shot once in the upper torso. Although Keith was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, he died from his injuries.
A few days later, Avila was upgraded from "person of interest" to a suspect in the slaying after police located a white Oldsmobile Cutlass the shooter was believed to be driving before Keith was shot.
Avila was arrested through joint efforts of the Yakima Police Department, Yakima County Sheriff's Office, and the United States Marshall's Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force, Nampa police said.
"We are very grateful to these agencies for capturing Avila where he had fled in Yakima, Wash.," Nampa police Lt. Eric Skoglund said. "This arrest is another great example of the good working relationships that Nampa PD has developed with other law enforcement agencies.
"This case has been a high priority for our agency. Finding those who do this type of violence and holding them accountable is part of our mission to make Nampa an even safer community for those who work and live here."
