San Jose police found the person's body around 10 a.m. on July 17, 2016, within the 400 block of North First Street, near Ryland Park. He had been stabbed a minimum of once.
“Despite all investigative efforts, no suspect was identified or arrested at the time of the incident,” Officer Tanya Hernandez said in a press release in regards to the arrest.
The victim was later identified as Jose Lopez, 51, of San Jose. His death was the twenty seventh homicide in the town in 2016.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office Cold Case Team reinvestigated the case in 2022 and identified Marco Iniquez Jr. as a possible suspect, Hernandez said.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Iniquez, but he remained at large for 2 more years.
On May 30, officers found and arrested Iniquez in Aromas, an unincorporated community in Monterey and San Benito counties. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on murder charges.
Iniquez is being held without bail on the San Jose Main Jail, in line with jail records. He is scheduled to seem in court on July 22.
Hernandez said the motive and circumstances of the murder are currently under investigation.
In the primary half of 2024, detectives closed six murder cases from previous years, two of them with the help of the prosecutor's cold case team, Hernandez said.
“The San Jose Police Department appreciates this cooperation and will continue to work to bring justice to victims of unsolved murders,” Lt. John Barg said in a press release.
Anyone with information in regards to the case should contact Detective Sgt. Ivan Barragan at 4106@sanjoseca.gov, Detective Catherine Van Brande at 4542@sanjoseca.gov or each at 408-277-5283.
Tips may also be called to Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org.
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