Man Wanted for Moreno Valley Murder and Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution Arrested Today in Florida

CORAL GABLES—A man wanted for murder in Riverside County was arrested in Coral Gables, Florida, on Wednesday, announced Bill Lewis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Edgar Alvarez, 33, was wanted for the shooting death of Emeon Hernandez inside a restaurant in Moreno Valley, California, on December 29, 2006. Alvarez had been arrested with Hernandez in Chicago, Illinois, for money laundering, on October 3, 2006, approximately three months prior to the December 29, 2006 shooting. The murder of Emeon Hernandez was investigated by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Central Homicide Unit.

On January 4, 2007, a no-bail felony warrant was issued in Riverside County charging Alvarez with murder. Shortly after the issuance of the Riverside County warrant, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department requested the assistance of the FBI in located Alvarez, who was believed to have fled. On August 1, 2007, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Alvarez in the United States District Court, Central District of California, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP).

Information developed by investigators indicated that Alvarez fled to Mexico after the murder and returned to the United States sometime in 2009. Since that time, Alvarez is believed to have resided in multiple areas, including Las Vegas, Tennessee, and Florida, while investigators sought his specific whereabouts.

During the past month, investigators developed information indicating Alvarez was located in the Miami area of Florida. Earlier today, agents and task force officers with the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime/Fugitive Task Force took Alvarez into custody without incident. The Coral Gables Police Department and the United States Secret Service assisted with the Miami operation.

The fugitive investigation was conducted by the Inland Regional Apprehension Team (IRAT), which is made up of agents and officers with the FBI; Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; Riverside Police Department; and the San Bernardino Police Department. The FBI’s Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Miami divisions worked together during the final weeks of the investigation to identify the location of the fugitive in Coral Gables, Florida.

Alvarez is being held at the Dade County Detention Center in Miami, Florida, and is expected to be transported back to Riverside County in the near future. It is anticipated that the United States government will dismiss the federal warrant charging Alvarez with UFAP and that he will remain in custody while he awaits prosecution for the state charge of murder by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

The FBI continues to work with local law enforcement to apprehend violent criminals charged with state crimes who then flee the jurisdiction interstate or internationally. Photos and descriptions of many fugitives wanted by the FBI can be found at www.fbi.gov.

Media Contact:

FBI Los Angeles Press Relations: 310 996-3343
FBI Miami Press Relations: 305 944-9101