Following a painstaking re-investigation of a 2016 homicide, the San José Police Department (SJPD) has made a significant breakthrough, leading to the arrest of a suspect. Marco Iniquez Jr., a 26-year-old resident of San José, stands accused in a case that had gone cold until revived efforts by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Cold Case Team brought new light to the evidence.

The original incident occurred on July 17, 2016, when officers found an adult male victim with fatal stab wounds in the 400 block of North First Street. For years, the identity of the assailant eluded law enforcement. Still, continued diligence by SJPD Homicide Unit Detectives eventually cracked the case open, culminating in the arrest of Iniquez on May 30. According to SJPD, the motive and circumstances around the killing are still being examined.

This arrest marks the sixth homicide case closed by the SJPD Homicide Unit in the first half of 2024, with this case reopening, bringing a renewed sense of justice for the victim's family and the San Jose community. These closures, some in a joint effort with the District Attorney's Office Cold Case Team, represent the unwavering commitment of the SJPD to resolve such tragic incidences, no matter the passage of time.

"The San Jose Police Department values this collaborative relationship and will continue to seek justice for the victim's of unsolved homicides", Lieutenant Barg of the SJPD Homicide Unit reportedly said via the SJPD news release. Investigators and officers continue to urge anyone with information about the 2016 homicide to come forward, offering avenues through the P3TIPS mobile app, the tip line, or the Crime Stoppers website for anonymous tips that could further assist their efforts.

Iniquez has been booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on a murder charge, and the case remains under ongoing investigation.