A man wanted for nearly five years in the shooting death of a 22-year-old Dallas resident during an alleged catalytic-converter theft has finally been caught. Dallas police say Juvencio Solorzano, now 22 himself, was tracked down in Mexico and is now sitting in the Dallas County Jail, charged with capital murder in the December 2021 killing of Sergio Maas.
According to dpdbeat.com, the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Solorzano in Mexico on Monday. He has since been extradited back to Dallas and booked into the county jail, the outlet reports. Police allege Solorzano shot and killed Maas during a catalytic-converter theft at 3233 Sumter Drive, a case that had gone unsolved at the fugitive level since detectives identified him as the suspected shooter back in 2022.
The killing happened at the Spanish Village apartments on Sumter Drive, near Bachman Lake, according to FOX 4. Maas turned on the alarm for his silver Toyota Sequoia after spotting people near the vehicle, and investigators believe Solorzano was the one who fired the shots that killed him. Dallas officers responding to the shooting call found Maas shot inside his residence, the same account states.
The Timeline
Officers were dispatched to Sumter Drive at approximately 3:37 a.m. on December 1, 2021.
What is not in dispute is how long Solorzano evaded capture. He remained wanted from the time detectives named him as the suspected shooter in 2022 until his arrest in Mexico this week, nearly five years after Maas was killed. Dallas police had warned the public that Solorzano should be considered armed and extremely dangerous while he was at large, per the same dpdbeat.com account.
What Investigators Have Not Said
Beyond the capital murder charge and the catalytic-converter theft allegation, authorities have been tight-lipped. Police did not release additional information about the shooting or the theft itself, according to the Star-Telegram. Details of Solorzano's extradition process and the specific location in Mexico where he was found have not been made public.
As reported by CBS News Texas, Maas activated his vehicle's alarm from his balcony before he was shot after confronting people near his SUV. Catalytic-converter thefts have plagued vehicle owners across North Texas in recent years, driven by the resale value of the precious metals inside the devices, though this case stands out for how deadly the confrontation ultimately became.
Solorzano was booked into the Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge nearly five years after Maas was killed. No further details about his attorney, a court date, or bond have been released.
