Suspect taken into custody in Kansas
City after Santa Clarita stabbing.

[view:node_ad=5]Two men have now been arrested in connection with the
Spetember 6th stabbing of two suspected teenage gang members in Canyon Country.

Detectives obtained information from witnesses and developed
more leads after determining the crime was caught on surveillance video from a
nearby camera at a fast food restaurant near Soledad
Canyon Road and Crossglade
Avenue. 

The deputies determined two male adult suspects, who are
also suspected gang members, were allegedly involved in the crime and one was
reportedly wearing a Taco Bell uniform shirt.  They later determined the
suspect was employed by the nearby fast food restaurant.  Detectives were
able to identify the man as Salvador Rodriguez, MH/19, of Canyon Country, and
determined he was a potential suspect in the crime.  They also identified
Johnny Zelaya, MH/20, resident of Palmdale and Canyon Country, as the second
suspect. 

Detectives from the City of Santa
Clarita / Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station's COBRA
Team determined that Rodriguez had fled to Escalon,
California, near Modesto,
following the incident.  Working with local authorities in Escalon,
deputies reached agreement and made arrangements for Rodriguez to
surrender.  Santa Clarita Deputies drove to Escalon where the arrest of
Rodriguez was made without incident.  Rodriguez was transported back to
the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station, where he was booked on a felony
charge of Attempted Murder.  He is being held at the Twin Towers
Correctional Facility, Los Angeles,
in lieu of 1.5 million dollars bail and is scheduled to appear in Santa Clarita
Superior Court on September 30th. 

Through further investigation and the service of a search
warrant at the last known Palmdale address of suspect Zelaya, detectives
determined he had fled the state to Kansas City,
Missouri, where he had previously resided
and is also a suspected gang member. 

Working in close cooperation with Kansas
City officials and the Los Angeles County Sheriff
Department's Fugitive Detail, Santa Clarita Detectives were able to have Zelaya
located in Kansas City. 

Tuesday morning, September
23, 2008, officers from Kansas City,
Mo., went to a location which Zelaya is
known to frequent.  They arrested Zelaya as a fugitive based on the 1
million dollar Attempted Murder warrant issued on this case.  Zelaya's
extradition is pending and he will be returned to Los
Angeles County to
stand trial in this case when his extradition is resolved. 

The victims, age 14 and 16, are both recovering from their
injuries and have been released from the hospital.      

"These far reaching arrests are yet another example of
how we will work hard to track down anyone who commits violent crimes in the
Santa Clarita Valley," said Captain Anthony La Berge.  "The
textbook use of resources intended to track down these criminals and
interagency cooperation made these arrests possible.  We are grateful for
the assistance provided by the other agencies and are thrilled with the fact we
could get these dangerous individuals off the streets before they hurt someone
else.  The long arm of the law and thorough investigation by the COBRA
Team are once again helping us send our 'Not in Santa Clarita' message!"