MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) says the man wanted in connection with a deadly shooting in Marion Oaks has been located and arrested.
MCSO says during the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 29, 33-year-old Melvin Arias was arrested in the Bronx, New York, by the United States Marshal Service (USMS) on charges of second-degree murder.
The arrest stems from an incident that happened on Friday, Jan. 12. On that day around 2 p.m., deputies responded to reports of a shooting at 168 Marion Oaks Boulevard in Ocala. When they arrived, they found 47-year-old Milagros Guzman Lopez dead from a gunshot.
The sheriff’s office says witnesses observed Arias arrive at the strip mall located on Marion Oaks Boulevard. Arias and Lopez then began to argue in front of a barber shop. Witnesses say Arias then went and got a gun from his vehicle and shot Lopez.
During their investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for Arias’ arrest and learned that he might have fled to New York.
After an “exhaustive” search and extensive investigation, detectives say they discovered Arias was staying at an apartment in the Bronx.
“He was successfully located and apprehended by USMS agents,” shared MCSO in a Facebook post.
The sheriff’s office says Arias is currently being held at the Rikers Island-Eric M. Taylor Center in East Elmhurst, New York. MCSO says detectives traveled from Ocala to New York to interview Arias and make arrangements for his return to Marion County.