Wanted Hemet couple hiding out in Mexicali when they were captured

Jose Campos is escorted after he was captured in Mexico. The Hemet resident was wanted in connection with the slaying of Adrian Rios in November. (courtesy photo)

The search for a young couple suspected in the gruesome killing of a Hemet teen ended in the Mexican town of Mexicali, where the pair had been hiding out with the help of others, Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said.

Jose Campos

“They were hiding. It was not a pleasant experience,” Dana told reporters at a news conference in Hemet, describing the living conditions for Jose Manuel Campos and Felicia Sharp, who were arrested Tuesday in Mexico.

The pair were turned over to U.S. officials Wednesday and were being interviewed by Hemet detectives as Dana spoke during the news briefing.

“I was elated,” Dana said, recalling his thoughts when news came that the pair had been taken into custody by Mexican authorities around 6 p.m. at a residence in the city just across from the U.S.-Mexican border.

Dana said Hemet investigators discovered about a month ago that Campos and Sharp — both 17 at the time of the slaying of 17-year-old Adrian Rios in November — were living in Mexico and worked with Mexican authorities, including the Mexican Attorney General, to get them back into the U.S.  They were handed over to representatives with the U.S. Marshal’s office then eventually to detectives and brought to Hemet about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dana said.

While providing few details about the couple’s whereabouts over the months since the slaying or who might have helped them, Dana said it was apparent that someone provided assistance to the pair with food and other essentials. He said it was unclear if there would be any other arrests. Dana said he did not know how Rios’ family responded to news of the arrest and had to confirm during the news conference that relatives had been told about the capture.

Felicia Sharp

They were being sought in connection with the death of Rios, who was killed with a .22-caliber pistol and burned in a bonfire in Hemet. The killing shocked many in the community because of the circumstances, including that Rios was tossed in the fire as a way to dispose of the body. Except for some tissue and a foot cut off at the ankle, there was little that remained of Rios.

Campos, who was named in a $2 million warrant, disappeared the night after a huge bonfire was spotted at a home on Bluejay Way Nov. 15. The crime came to light Nov. 16, when the victim’s mother went to the home and looked around, spotting what she believed to be her son’s sneaker.

Police later found a fire pit and shallow grave containing what were subsequently determined to be Rios’ remains. They also found drag marks in the backyard. Neighbors reported a powerful stench emanating from the Sunday night bonfire, which was set after several youths gathered at the house, reportedly to watch a football game, according to police.

Sharp had been questioned early in the investigation but was allowed to leave. She then disappeared. Dana said she will be charged as an accessory to the killing.

“This has been a very difficult case for the city of Hemet,” he said. “This was a brutal murder” and many in the community were affected by the killing.

Dana credited the work of detectives, who he said never gave up on the case, and the ability of officers to focus on their work while there were others issues facing the department. He noted the recent attacks on a Hemet-based gang task force and reductions of staff because of budget cuts.

“They would not let go of it,” he said.

“We are going to do whatever we have to do get these people in custody,” he said. “We are not going to drop any cases.”

Campos apparently lived at the home on Bluejay Way, but neighbors said the family moved out about a week before the bonfire. Police have said they believe at least six people were at the house around the time Rios was killed.

Investigators who searched the property recovered a machete, a .22- caliber shell, a shovel, butcher knives, a gas canister, a partially burned T-shirt, pieces of rope, a sock, a yellow metal hoop earring and a Hemet Police Department ticket issued to Jose Campos.

Dana said investigators have not determined a motive for the killing.

Follow the story:

Hemet police find human remains in backyard

Hemet missing teen case: Remains found believed to be one of two missing teens

Court records paint grisly picture in missing Hemet teens case

Hemet teen goes from “missing” to “found” to “wanted”

Tags: Adrian Rios, chief richard dana, Felicia Sharp, hemet, Jose Campos, Mexicali, SWRNN

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 8:28 pm and is filed under Courts, Crime, Local News, Mexico, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.