One of Massachusetts’ most-wanted fugitives was found working under an alias on a Guatemala shrimp farm after eluding US federal authorities for 31 years. As cops moved in, he jumped in the water to escape but was nabbed.
Massachusetts’ most-wanted murder suspect evades authorities for 31 years
On November 16, 1991, Mario García stabbed Ismael Recinos-García during a brawl in the town of Attleboro, near the border with Rhode Island. Mario fled the scene. Ismael was rushed to hospital, where he died from his stab wounds, the Daily Mail reported.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Mario García, who was 19 at the time, but he managed to evade capture. Investigators never stopped looking for him.
In 2014, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section got a credible lead, informing them that García had returned to his native country of Guatemala. The information said Mario was hiding out in a remote town.
Still determined to bring García to justice, even thirty years after the murder, Massachusetts added him to the state’s most-wanted fugitive list in 2021.
Authorities move in, suspect attempts another escape but is captured
In early 2022, investigators learned Mario García could have been running a shrimp farm in Central America and living under an alias. Further investigation confirmed García was living on a shrimp farm in Iztapa, Guatemala, Fox 59 reported.
In mid-December, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Department of State coordinated an operation with Guatemalan authorities to capture García.
As authorities moved in, ready to serve the arrest warrant on García, he attempted to evade capture by leaping into the water. However, he was unable to escape and was promptly placed into custody.
US, Massachusetts, and Guatemalan authorities are now facilitating Mario García’s extradition to America, where he will be prosecuted on murder charges in the death of Ismael Recinos-García.
Garcia’s capture also brought some semblance of closure to Recinos-García’s family, especially his daughter, Delia Recinos, who was only three years old at the time of the killing.
“I am very surprised, full of emotions because they have finally found him and possibly they will be able to bring him to justice after 31 years,” Delia Recinos told Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra.
“We don’t forget,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel Christopher Mason. “We are persistent, and we never cease in our efforts to secure justice for victims.”
“The fact that we were able to reach into Guatemala to hold accountable someone who committed a homicide in Massachusetts is a result of both tenacious police work and the value of our relationships with local, federal and international partners,” Mason added.
