Man returned to Yuma to face murder charges
Jun 10, 2012, 9:15 AM | Updated: 11:04 am
YUMA, Ariz. — A suspect wanted in connection with the April killing of a
Yuma man in a case of mistaken identity is now behind bars.
The Yuma Sun
reports that 30-year-old Manuel Bustamante was arrested in San Luis
Rio Colorado in the northern Mexican state of Sonora last month and was
turned over to U.S. authorities on Friday.
Bustamante was booked into Yuma County jail on charges of first-degree
murder for the April 18 bludgeoning death of 33-year-old Kendal Smith.
He is set to plead to the charges in court Monday.
Three other men also have also charged in Smith’s killing.
Yuma County deputies say that the group of men beat Smith to death with a
baseball bat after accusing him of stealing drugs, although that later turned
out not to be the case.
