The FBI announced a reward of up to $25,000 Friday for information that leads to the arrest of a rookie LAPD officer accused of murder who may have fled to Mexico or Texas.
Federal authorities believe Henry Solis has multiple weapons, and that his training as a Marine may make it more challenging to find him. Authorities hope that offering the reward will lead to his capture.
"Obviously, he's gotten some training on how to survive," FBI Special Agent Scott Garriola said.
The 27-year-old former LAPD officer, officially terminated by Chief Charlie Beck on Tuesday, is accused of murder in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona last Friday.
Agents say in a federal warrant issued Thursday that they found Solis' father in El Paso, Texas, who told them on March 13 he drove his son there from California and took him to a bus stop.
"The neighboring town, the border town for El Paso, is Ciudad Juárez," Garriola said. "There's a chance he could be there. He may have connections there or he could be deeper in Mexico at this point."
That means the FBI would have to rely on Mexican police to capture Solis, and hope that authorities there will not choose an extradition process that could take years, but instead deport Solis since he is an American citizen.
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"There's decisions that need to be made obviously from the Mexican immigration department and the Mexican police department, hopefully working together with us," Garriola said. "If he is located in Mexico, we can have him deported."
"I've got a lot of experience chasing fugitives," Garriola continued. "I'm not worried, we will find him."
The FBI said it will be up to the district attorney to determine if Solis' father faces any charges for helping his son.
