A 20-year-old man wanted on a second-degree murder charge in Washington state was apprehended in Utah County this past Monday, as reported by KUTV. Identified as Jose Antonio Cedeno-Ponce, the suspect is linked to the stabbing death of an individual during a fight with high schoolers in Tukwila, Washington, on January 10. After the incident, Cedeno-Ponce reportedly fled and abandoned his vehicle in Idaho.
The arrest was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force with the support of the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and the Orem Police Department. The FBI states that Cedeno-Ponce armed himself with a knife "before anyone approached him" and that he "fatally struck the victim" in the ensuing altercation. Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed highlighted the collaboration between agencies, stating, "Task forces allow law enforcement to seamlessly work together with the shared goal of keeping our communities safe," as obtained by ABC4.
Currently, Cedeno-Ponce is being held at the Utah County Jail while he awaits extradition to Washington. According to KSL, the suspect encountered law enforcement at an unspecified business in Utah County and was taken into custody without incident. Officials have not disclosed further details about the victim in this case.
