Calif. homicide suspect found in Las Vegas

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009 | 11:41 a.m.

Metro Police

Noel Carrasco

A 22-year-old man wanted on murder and robbery charges out of Orange, Calif., has been arrested in Las Vegas, authorities said.

Noel Carrasco was arrested Monday in Las Vegas by members of the Criminal Apprehension Team, or CAT, a federal task force staffed with detectives from Metro Police, Henderson Police and FBI agents.

Carrasco is alleged to have killed and robbed Matias Ojeda Vazquez on Dec. 22, after he was lured to the Covered Wagon Motel in Buena Park, Calif., then robbed and killed in a motel room there. His body has not been found.

Carrasco then came to Las Vegas, where he has been living and has friends and relatives who live in the northeastern Las Vegas Valley, said Sgt. Dave Stansbury of the CAT team.

Carrasco was caught at Eastern and Owens avenues in a parking lot of a shopping mall.

Detectives are still looking for a black, four-door 1990 Honda Civic that may have been used to transport the body of Vazquez, authorities said. The car has been seen near Las Vegas and may have evidence related to the homicide, police said.

The last known license plate on the Honda was California 6DSZ968. The VIN on the Honda is JHMCB7567LC032104. Anyone with information about the vehicle is being asked to call the CAT team at 636-5065. It's possible that Carrasco sold the car once he arrived in Las Vegas, police said.