A man accused of killing another man at a quinceañera in Orange County has been extradited to the U.S. and will finally face charges after spending the last 18 years on the lam in Mexico.
Pedro Gallegos-Garcia has been wanted by law enforcement since February 2006, when he allegedly shot and killed a man during a quinceañera in Costa Mesa.
On Feb. 11, 2006, Costa Mesa police officers responded to a home on the 2000 block of Wallace Avenue where they found Hermes Rodriguez-Raya lying in a driveway with a gunshot wound to the back.
Police determined that Rodriguez-Raya was involved in a fight with another man during the traditional 15th birthday celebration.
It’s alleged that Gallegos-Garcia intervened in that fight, pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot the victim. When the gun didn’t fire, Rodriguez-Raya turned and ran, at which point his attacker fired again, hitting him in the back and killing him.
Gallegos-Garcia then fled to Mexico in an attempt to avoid prosecution, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office allges.
For 18 years, law enforcement has searched for the suspected gunman and kept the case open.
In August 2019, the Costa Mesa Police Department and the D.A.’s Office helped secure an arrest warrant in Mexico. In January 2024, with the help of the FBI and local authorities, Gallegos-Garcia was arrested and taken into custody.
A formal extradition request was made and eventually approved by the Mexican government.
Last week, more than 18 years after the killing of Hermes Rodriguez-Raya, Gallegos-Garcia arrived at the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana and was turned over to the Costa Mesa Police Department.
He is currently in police custody and was expected to appear in court Monday and be formally charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement for using a firearm in the crime.
If convicted, Gallegos-Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison.
“Justice in this case was delayed but ultimately not denied for the family of Hermes Rodriguez-Raya, who’ve waited nearly two decades for his accused killer to be returned to the United States to face prosecution,” said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI field office in Los Angeles.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer echoed that sentiment and thanked all the partner agencies, local and abroad, that helped bring the suspect into custody.
“Nearly two decades of unwavering detective work has resulted in the apprehension of a wanted murderer,” Spitzer said in a news release. “The loved ones of Hermes Rodriguez-Raya can finally have their day in court.”