Durham murder suspect arrested 24 years later while living in Mount Airy

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Twenty-four years after a murder took place in Durham, the North Carolina man identified decades ago as the suspect has finally been caught.

Jesus Enrique Garza was shot and killed on Sept. 16, 1999 while sitting in a car on North Miami Boulevard. Days after the killing, Durham Police Department identified and obtained an arrest warrant for Saturnino Gutierrez-Garcia.

However, police were never able to locate Gutierrez-Garcia.

But on Oct. 7, 2023, Surry County Sheriff's Office identified and located Gutierrez-Garcia, now 46 years old, in Mount Airy. Deputies arrested him and transported him to the Durham County Jail. He is being held there without bond.

"Durham Police Department thanks the Surry County Sheriff's Office for their diligent work and assistance in making this arrest. Our investigators would also like to thank the Garza family for their patience as we worked to bring this case to a close," the department said in a statement about the case.