Murder Suspect Arrested After Years on the Run

0:00A 26-year-old man named Julian Santana Rico just faced charges for a double murder from a 2018 shooting in East Palo Alto. He got a rain Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court on two counts of murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. Cops say he crashed an uninvited Halloween party, a fight broke out, and he fired shots that killed two guys and wounded two others. After the gunfire, Rico bolted from the scene and crossed into Mexico where he laid low for years, even teaching English like nothing happened. U.S., Marshalls and other agencies tracked him down, arrested him there, and shipped him back to California to face the music. He's locked up without bail now. Families of the victims packed the courtroom, feeling a mix of relief and hope after waiting over five years for this moment. One mom whose son got hurt, called at the beginning of justice, while relatives of the dead men said they're taking it one step at a time. The fallen were Eduardo Sandoval from Stockton and Mario Andrés Bidalas Mendez from Redwood

1:01City. Prosecutors sound confident, saying witness statements from back then, hold up strong, even if memories faded a bit from all those young folks at the writing siding, party. Rico's getting a public defender, and his next court day hits April 28th. This case crossing borders shows how persistence pays off and the hunt for accountability, leaving families once that closer to closure as the legal, wheels keep turning, local news powered by AI. This is California News Today.