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Last Suspect in 2008 Ambush Killing of LA County Deputy Extradited From Mexico

Held without bail after his return under the Justice Department’s repatriation effort, Salazar faces a preliminary hearing on Thursday.

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Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, 27, was gunned down early Aug. 2, 2008, while leaving his parents’ home on the 3400 block of Thorpe Avenue in Cypress Park. (Courtesy photo)

Overview

  • Roberto Salazar, the last of six defendants in the 2008 Cypress Park ambush, was extradited from Mexico and booked into U.S. custody Wednesday under a Justice Department repatriation operation.
  • Jail records show Salazar is held without bail and scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Thursday.
  • The Justice Department operation returned more than two dozen fugitives wanted for violent crimes such as drug trafficking and kidnapping under a sustained U.S.–Mexico law enforcement cooperation.
  • Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy and Army reservist, was fatally shot four times in 2008 after being mistaken for a rival gang member while leaving his parents’ home for his shift at Men’s Central Jail.
  • Five co-defendants were previously convicted, including the admitted shooter serving life without parole, concluding the 17-year investigation.