Ex-LAPD officer wanted in Pomona killing arrested in Mexico

ByLeticia Juarez and Laura Montenegro KABC logo
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Fugitive ex-LAPD officer arrested in Mexico
Former LAPD officer Henry Solis, who is wanted in connection to the March murder of Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona, has been arrested in Mexico, Eyewitness News has learned.

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Henry Solis, who is wanted in connection to the March murder of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona, has been arrested in Mexico, Eyewitness News has learned.

Solis was captured by Mexican security forces in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office said. Mexican officials said he was living among his relatives in Juarez. They said he resisted arrest, but no gunshots were fired during his capture.

Henry Solis, 27, was arrested in Mexico Tuesday, May 26, 2015, on murder charges stemming from the shooting death of Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona in March.
Courtesy of the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office

Agents said Solis told them that he knew he'd be captured sooner or later.

Solis was deported to El Paso, Texas, Tuesday night and was expected to be in court the following morning. He faces charges for murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, FBI officials said.

Investigators believe Solis, 27, got into a fistfight with Rodriguez that escalated into a fatal shooting in the area of Third and Main streets in Pomona on March 13. Rodriguez was found with gunshot wounds to the lower torso and later died.

Henry Solis (left) was arrested in Mexico Tuesday, May 26, 2015 in connection to the murder of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. (right).

Solis' father, Victor, was arrested on March 26 for allegedly lying to the FBI after helping his son cross the border to Juarez, Mexico. Surveillance video obtained from the border crossing shows Henry and Victor Solis both crossing the border at about 5:40 a.m. on March 14.

Video obtained from the United States-Mexico border crossing into Juarez, Mexico shows Henry and Victor Solis crossing the border on Saturday, March 14, 2015.

Solis graduated from the police academy in November 2014 and was assigned to the Devonshire Division. In March, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck fired Solis, calling him a dishonor to the organization. Solis is also a former U.S. Marine.

The FBI was offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

A candlelight vigil was held for Rodriguez near the scene of his murder Tuesday night. Rodriguez's mom, Lidia, told Eyewitness News she's looking forward to seeing Solis in court and is extremely grateful to all those in her community who have supported her family through this difficult time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.