Suspects in 2002 Homicide Located, in Custody

At about 6:30 p.m. on February 24, 2002, Raleigh Police Department officers responded to a shots-fired call in the 1500 block of Crest Road. Initial investigation determined that a homicide had occurred at 1527-15 Crest Rd, and the body of the 27-year-old victim, Martin Herrera Sotelo, was located a short time later in a nearby dumpster.

The follow-up homicide investigation of the incident determined that three suspects had been involved in the crime, and warrants were obtained charging each of them murder. The three suspects were identified as:

•  Noel Monterrubio Garcia (DOB 10/22/69)
• Orlando Monterrubio Garcia (DOB 5/20/75); and,
• Tomas Serrano Garcia (DOB 9/22/70).

Efforts were made immediately to locate and arrest the three suspects; however, those efforts were not successful, and detectives received information that all three had likely fled the area.

In 2003, it was learned that Orlando Monterrubio Garcia had returned to Raleigh, and he was located and arrested.

On May 8, 2012, the detective to whom the Martin Herrera Sotelo homicide case is currently assigned received information that Tomas Serrano Garcia had been arrested in Forsyth County, Ga., and RPD detectives traveled there to follow up on the Raleigh homicide investigation.

While in Georgia the detectives worked with investigators with the Forsyth County Sherriff’s Department to successfully to locate the third suspect, Noel Monterrubio Garcia, and he was taken into custody there.

Noel Monterrubio Garcia arrived in Raleigh this afternoon and has been processed into the Wake County Jail. Tomas Serrano Garcia remains in custody in Georgia pending extradition.