A Sacramento man wanted in a July 18 killing on South Avenue was arrested Thursday in Portland, with federal agents and local police lending a hand. Detectives identified the suspect as 59-year-old Dieshal Battles and said he will be transported back to Sacramento for booking at the county jail.
Police were first called just after 9:45 p.m. on July 18 to the 1700 block of South Avenue, where an unconscious man was found and later died at a hospital, according to KCRA. Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators took over the case that night.
Portland arrest follows multi-agency search
In an update shared after the arrest, Sacramento police said a “comprehensive investigation” led them to Battles in Portland, and he was taken into custody with help from the FBI and Portland Police. The department said he was arrested on a homicide warrant tied to the South Avenue case and will be booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail, per the Sacramento Police Department. The Sheriff’s Office notes the Main Jail houses those arrested by city and regional agencies while they await court proceedings, including extradited suspects, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff.
What happens next legally
Because the arrest occurred in Oregon, the transfer to California generally follows the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act. Oregon law requires the Governor’s office to honor another state’s request for fugitives and outlines how an arrest warrant and surrender are handled, as detailed in the Oregon Revised Statutes. In California, arrests based on out-of-state charges and related extradition steps proceed under the state’s fugitive statutes, including Penal Code 1551.1. Prosecutors will determine specific charges following Battles’s return.
The July 18 homicide on South Avenue
Officers were dispatched on July 18 to reports of an assault in North Sacramento. An adult male victim was transported from the scene and later died, and detectives began canvassing the area and gathering statements, according to KCRA. The coroner will publicly identify the victim after notifying next of kin.
Context: a summer of fast-moving homicide cases
The South Avenue arrest is one of several recent homicide breaks the department has announced. On July 25, detectives arrested a suspect after a pursuit in a separate killing near West El Camino Avenue, as reported in a police news release. More broadly, Sacramento saw a notable drop in homicides in 2023—down to 38 from 54 in 2022—even as year-to-year fluctuations continue, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Have information to share
Anyone with information about the South Avenue case can contact Sacramento police at 916‑808‑5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916‑443‑HELP. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
