LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Mexican authorities have arrested the man wanted in connection with the 2020 killing of Lesly Palacio.
Erick Rangel-Ibarra will remain in custody pending a decision on his extradition to the United States, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced on Tuesday morning.
News of Rangel-Ibarra's arrest comes nearly four years after Palacio's disappearance on Aug. 29, 2020. Police issued a warrant for Rangel-Ibarra's arrest for open murder, but he managed to evade authorities.
On Sept. 9, 202, Palacio's body was found in the desert near Valley of Fire State Park.
Rangel-Ibarra's father, Jose Rangel, was sentenced in 2021 to two years in prison for helping his son after Palacio's death.
Editor's note: A previous version of this report stated that Lesly Palacio disappeared on Aug. 9, 2020. It has since been corrected to reflect the correct date of Aug. 29, 2020. Channel 13 regrets the error.