Suspect in August 2002 murder located in Mexico, extradited to Monterey County
Photo: Nunez being taken into custody | Salinas Police Department
Salinas Police have announced the arrest of a man in connection to a nearly 20-year-old murder case.
Juan Gabriel Nunez, now 46, quickly became a person of interest in the murder of Loretta Paluszynski, who was found dead of multiple stab wounds at her home on Iris Drive on August 8, 2002.
Physical evidence collected at the scene led to the identification of Nunez, who’d had a romantic relationship with Paluszynski and a documented history of domestic violence against her, as a possible suspect.
Though an arrest warrant was issued, Nunez was nowhere to be found. Investigators eventually found his vehicle abandoned in southern California, prompting suspicion that he’d fled to Mexico.
Though police continued to follow leads and tips, it would be nearly twenty years before Nunez was finally found.
At long last, in April of this year, Nunez was found in Mexico and taken into custody by local authorities. On September 8, he was extradited to the U.S. and is now in custody at the Monterey County Jail.
