Man wanted for murder added to the FBI’s most wanted list
Brooklyn U.S. attorney comments on charges against gang-linked man
The FBI’s New York Field Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Juan Elias Garcia. Garcia, also known as “Cruzito,” is wanted for his alleged participation in the murder of 19-year-old Vanessa Argueta and her 2-year-old son in Central Islip, N.Y., on Feb. 5, 2010.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch said, “Garcia and his co-conspirators executed a young mother and her toddler in cold blood before fleeing from the United States.
“[The] announcement by the FBI, which designates Garcia as one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted suspects, recognizes both the horrific nature of this crime, as well as the tenacious efforts by the FBI and United States Attorney’s Office to locate Garcia and bring him to face to justice.” Ms. Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to each of the members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force.
According to prior court filings and testimony introduced during two recent MS-13 racketeering trials, Garcia, who is linked to the MS-13 gang, was involved in a romantic relationship with Argueta, a woman who had ties to both the 18th Street Gang and the Latin Kings—two of the principal rivals of MS-13.