The four Sacramento men arrested Tuesday in connection with an Oct. 4 killing in San Diego -- including the 19-year-old son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez -- have left the Sacramento County Main Jail and are en route to San Diego, where they will face charges of homicide and assault with a deadly weapon.
Esteban Armando Núñez, Ryan Kelly Jett, Leshanor Thomas Jr. and Rafael Isaac Garcia were taken into custody with the assistance of Elk Grove Police Department officers and Sacramento County sheriff's deputies, local and San Diego authorities say.
Esteban Núñez, Thomas and Garcia all are 19; Jett is 22 and is the lone suspect with a criminal history in Sacramento County, court records show.
Fabian Núñez released a statement today that said: "This is a very difficult and painful experience for every family involved. Maria and I love our children very much. We are confident our son Esteban will be cleared of the charges he is facing. We will continue to fully cooperate with all law enforcement officials and have faith in our system of justice."
The younger Núñez was arrested about 2 p.m. at his father's home in the 3300 block of American River Drive, said Sgt. R.L. Davis, Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman. Jett and Garcia were arrested at a residence on Romack Circle in Sacramento, and Thomas was arrested off Little Rapids Way in Elk Grove, Davis said.
Each man faces one count of murder and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, San Diego police say.
The Oct. 4 stabbing occurred after the four men allegedly got into a fight as the victim and four friends left a party, police said. Luis Santos, a 22-year-old college student, and two friends were stabbed. Santos died at the scene.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that San Diego police detectives searched the Sacramento-area homes of all four about a week after Santos' death.
Jett, the 22-year-old suspect, has four cases in the Sacramento County court system dating back to December 2005, court records show. Most recently, he pleaded no contest to a felony weapons charge in July and was sentenced to 120 days in custody, records show. Jett also received five years of formal, searchable probation.
Bee researcher Sheila Kern contributed to this report.
Map of where the arrest occurred:
Call The Bee's Stan Oklobdzija, (916) 321-1041.
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