Oct
17
Murder Suspect Arrested in St. Louis
Filed Under Uncategorized
Tracked Down by Federal Marshalls
SANTA BARBARA, CA – 10/16/2006 – On 9/13/06, Frank Tacadena, age 60, was shot in the neck as he sat in his vehicle parked at 419 W. Islay Street. He was killed in front of his wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle. The next day, police arrested John Lopez, age 26, in Ventura for his role in this homicide. Lopez remains in jail.
At the time of the shooting, Lopez lived at 427 W. Islay Street. Detectives quickly linked a friend of Lopez’s named Luis Sosa to this incident. John Lopez and Luis Sosa are both members of a Ventura based gang. Witnesses and evidence place them together at the scene. The morning of the homicide, Sosa was released from County Jail. He linked up with Lopez and the two were drinking near the corner of Castillo and Islay Street. Shortly before 6:00 p.m., the victim and his wife drive past Lopez and Sosa. Tacadena parked his car while his wife dropped off her granddaughter. There is a history of bad blood between Lopez and Tacadena. Detectives believe Sosa confronted Tacadena as he sat in his vehicle. After a brief confrontation, Tacadena was shot in the neck. Lopez and Sosa fled the scene.
Following the homicide, Sosa fled from Santa Barbara to Ventura, to Palmdale, and then to Las Vegas. He bounced from one family member to another, trying to stay one step ahead of pursuing homicide detectives. Police confirmed that Sosa had crossed state lines and the Federal Marshalls were called to assist. The Marshalls assisted SBPD detectives with stake-outs and interviews of family members at several Palmdale and Las Vegas locations. Detectives got a big break when they connected Sosa to a cousin who lives in St. Louis, Missouri. As detectives were in route to continue the manhunt, Federal Marshalls staked out the cousin’s apartment in a downtown blue collar St. Louis neighborhood. The Marshalls contacted the cousin, who directed them to a friend’s apartment across town. The Marshalls went there and located Luis Sosa. When contacted, Sosa gave a false name and had counterfeit identification in his possession. Once his identity was confirmed, he was arrested and held at the St. Louis City Jail.
On 10/13/06, Sosa appeared in a St. Louis court and waived extradition. He flew back under police guard and on 11/14/06 was booked in the SB County Jail on the charge of murder. He is being held without bail. On 10/14/06, a live line-up was held for witnesses in the case. The reasons arrest details were not released earlier was to avoid influencing the witnesses who viewed the line-up.
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5 Responses to “Murder Suspect Arrested in St. Louis”
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Thank You for all the work you have done to apprehend the murderer of my brother. I am praying the case is strong enough to put John Lopez and Luis Sosa where they belong.
Thank you for all the work you did in apprehend the murderer of my brother, Pancho Tacadena. I just pray the case is strong enough to put John Lopez and Luis Sosa where they belong.
I along with my sister thank the detectives and everyone else involved who helped captured the man who murdered our brother. My family has a long road ahead of us with both trials coming up but I hope and pray that justice will be served and these two m*****fu***** will get what they deserve. Sorry but that’s how I feel. I know that John and Luis cannot look their mothers in the eyes and see love, I know thier mothers look at them with total disappointment and disgust and that somehow makes it a little easier.
Personally I don’t get why Luis Sosa is being trampled with all these reports any more than John Lopez. Lopez was the one with issues with Tacadena family. This and every other article make it seem as though Luis was the only man that had to do with this shooting. And I feel that their mother in fact DOES have as much love as she ever has. Put it in your perspective. No mother could ever stop loving a child. I’m not trying to justify what happened or say in any way that it was necessairy… but take it easy on Luis Sosa, how about some information on Lopez?
IDE LIKE TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE TACADENA FAMILY.I ADMIRE YOUR STRENGTH KATHY YOU HAVE LOST BOTH MEN IN YOUR LIFE BUT KNOW YOU NOW HAVE TWO OF THE STRONGEST ANGELS TO GUIDE YOU AND ALSO ALICIA. I HOPE THESE MEN GET WHAT THEY DESERVE,DONT WORRY IF JUSTICE FAILS.THERE IS STILLTHE JUDGEMENT DAY.LOVE TO ALL TACADENA,BELTRAN,MARTINEZ