On August 14, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office and Legal Attaché Office of Mexico City returned wanted fugitive Antonio Lopes Moreno, 67, to Glenn County to face felony homicide charges with special circumstances.
Lopes Moreno was booked into the Glenn County Jail and is currently awaiting his initial appearance before the Superior Court of California, County of Glenn, in Willows. All charges are mere allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
With the assistance of the FBI Mexico City Legal Attaché and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Mexico, Lopes Moreno was apprehended by INTERPOL in Cotija de la Paz, Michoacan, Mexico, on August 19, 2022, pending extradition.
"The FBI is committed to locating and returning individuals who evade criminal prosecution to honor the memory of victims, support those impacted by the crime, and ensure the accused can face charges before an impartial jury," said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. "We stand ever ready to aid our law enforcement partners and effect extradition when we can to ensure justice for all."
"Today's actions show the crucial value of partnerships in ensuring that violent criminals do not go unpunished," said Mexico City Legal Attaché Angel Catalan. "For this case, the FBI would especially like to extend our gratitude to the Fiscalia General de la Republica and its INTERPOL team for their actions in locating and arresting Lopes Moreno."
Lopes Moreno's return to Glenn County to face prosecution is funded by the United States Government's Project Welcome Home, which provides funding to assist in the transportation of federal fugitives to the United States.
Lopes Moreno is alleged to have killed a woman outside of an Orland laundromat on October 11, 1989. The Orland Police Department and Glenn County Sheriff's Office investigated the homicides, and the Glenn County District Attorney's Office District Attorney Dwayne R. Stewart is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant's arrest and extradition from Mexico. A warrant for Lopes Moreno's arrest was issued on October 16, 1989.
The FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on May 23, 2017, following a request for assistance from the Glenn County Sheriff's Office in January 2017 and in collaboration with the Glenn County District Attorney's Office.
The FBI continues to collaborate with its law enforcement partners to apprehend criminals charged with state crimes who then flee the jurisdiction. Cases seeking information from the public, including fugitive matters, are posted on the FBI Sacramento Field Office's Most Wanted page and FBI Most Wanted app. Anyone with information that may aid these cases may contact their local FBI office, United States embassy, or submit information online at tips.fbi.gov.
