Suspect in Pomona Shooting Waiting to be Extradicted

A Pomona resident wanted for his alleged involvement in a 2011 drive-by shooting in Pomona that left a woman dead was apprehended in Mexico and is expected to be brought back to California to be prosecuted on a murder charge, police reported today.

Ruben Vargas, 37, was located in Ensenada on Dec. 12.

Another man, Andrew Alvarez, 27, was arrested shortly after the murder and is serving a 27-year prison sentence, said Lt. Mike Keitner of the Pomona Police Department.

The drive-by shooting occurred Jan. 4, 2011, at 10:55 p.m., when two men pulled up to 606 Illinois St.  and blindly fired guns into the house, fatally wounding Lina Romero. The 31-year-old victim died about a month later.

"We never give up and never stop looking for any outstanding murder suspects, even if they run and hide in Mexico," said Pomona homicide Detective Greg Freeman.

Two guns were recovered, along with other evidence linking both suspects to the murder, which was believed to be gang-related, police said.

The photo with this article was taken from a May 2011 article in the El Paso Times. 

-- City News Service