A Charlotte man accused of murder in connection with a homicide in Garner was found on a hog farm nearly two weeks after the fatal shooting, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Read more Raleigh car crash and Wendy’s bankruptcy lead to closed restaurants. What to know
Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28, was arrested and transported to Johnston County on Friday night, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He is accused killing Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, at the Garner Super 8 Motel on Oct. 11.
Johnston County deputies found Martinez-Rivera dead with gunshot wounds in the second-room floor of the motel, the Sheriff’s Office said. Martinez-Rivera also is from Charlotte.
Investigators determined Banegas-Quintanilla fled the scene in Martinez-Rivera’s vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Office, tracking his travel from Johnston County to Charlotte and from Charlotte to the Lenoir County city of Kinston.
A warrant for Banegas-Quintanilla’s arrest on murder charges was issued Oct. 13, court records show. Over the next two weeks, investigators conducted “numerous” interviews and analyzed surveillance footage to find Banegas-Quintanilla, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Read more NC State football fires DJ Eliot after two seasons as defensive coordinator
On Friday, detectives determined that Banegas-Quintanilla was staying in a trailer on a Pitt County hog farm, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Together with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenville Police Department, Johnston County deputies took Banegas-Quintanilla into custody without incident.
Along with the murder charge, Banegas-Quintanilla also faces charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
A warrant for Banegas-Quintanilla’s arrest alleged that he stole Martinez-Rivera’s silver 2016 Toyota RAV4 and threatened Martinez-Rivera with a handgun.
Read more A Glenwood South business and Raleigh venue have closed this fall