Person arrested in killing of Philadelphia police officer Richard Mendez identified
Police said the slain officer's handcuffs were used during the arrest.
PHILADELPHIA -- An arrest has been made in the killing of a Philadelphia police officer last week in a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport.
Ofc. Richard Mendez, 50, died after he and another officer, 60-year-old Raul Ortiz, confronted several people breaking into a vehicle late Thursday night.
Mendez, who had been on the force for more than 20 years, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the hospital.
The person arrested has been identified as Yobranny Martinez Fernandez of Camden County, New Jersey.
Philadelphia Police Dep. Commissioner Frank Vanore said in a Monday afternoon news conference that authorities received information around 2 a.m. that Fernandez was in the area of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Then, around 4 a.m., the U.S. Marshals, the FBI, New Jersey State Police and the Philadelphia Police Homicide Division moved in to make the arrest.
Vanore said Mendez's handcuffs were used during the arrest.
Fernandez is currently in custody in New Jersey and is awaiting extradition back to Philadelphia.
Vanore said it is not yet clear who pulled the trigger. He said police are looking for at least two more people.
Ortiz, a 20-year veteran of the force, was shot in the arm and released from the hospital on Saturday.
Authorities said the suspects fled in an SUV reported stolen a week ago that was later seen at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia dropping off 18-year-old Jesus Herman Madera Duran, who authorities say was believed to be involved in the confrontation with the officers.
Duran had been shot in the chest, abdomen and left arm and was pronounced dead around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
It wasn't clear if any other suspects were wounded in the shooting, authorities said, or how many of them had fired weapons.
The slain officer's gun has not been located and it wasn't immediately known whether anyone fired it, Stanford said.
Police released video showing "at least one suspect" as well as the vehicle used to drop off Madera Duran at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Over the weekend, Action News learned a black Dodge Charger was found in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood.
Officials believe it is connected to the suspects involved in the shooting and is linked to the case.
The reward for information leading to an arrest stands at $225,000.
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