Suspect In Monterey County Triple Homicide Arrested In Mariposa County

MCSO photo

Mariposa, CA – A triple-murder suspect on the run for nine months has been caught hiding out in Mariposa County.

Initially, the suspect was believed to have fled to the Tuolumne County area, and sheriff’s officials aided in his capture. 20-year-old Elizar Ayron Arellano of King City in Monterey County is accused of the murders of Carlos Manuel Lopez, Selena Gonzalez Godoy, and Godoy’s unborn child on December 26, 2021. He, along with three other gang members, gunned down the couple while they got out of their vehicle, according to King City Police. No motive was given for the shooting.

After the homicides, Arellano fled the area. In response, police turned to the United States Marshall’s Service Fugitive Task Force to help apprehend Arellano. The service recently obtained information that he could be hiding out in Tuolumne County. On Tuesday, they, along with officers from King City, traveled to Tuolumne and Mariposa counties to investigate leads. They discovered Arellano in the 6000 block of Greely Hill Road in Coulterville and arrested him. Currently, he is in the Mariposa County Jail awaiting transfer to the Monterey County Jail. After capturing Arellano, a Groveland residence in the 20000 block of Chapin Road was searched. No details were released regarding what was sought or if it was found.