(NewsNation) — The family of Augustine Valenzuela is closer to justice, more than 10 years after his death.
Valenzuela, 53, was stabbed during a violent home invasion in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2014; his wife and stepsons were held at gunpoint.
The suspects fled before police arrived, and Valenzuela was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital. The case went cold for years before being picked up again, leading to the arrest of Fernando Gaitan, 43.
He was arrested Wednesday by the Phoenix Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit and Fugitive Apprehension Investigation Unit after DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
Gaitan now faces multiple felony charges related to this incident, according to the department.
‘The Phoenix Police Department extends its gratitude to the initial responding officers, crime scene
specialists and investigators, Cold Case Homicide Unit detectives, and Phoenix Crime Lab personnel
for their dedication and hard work in bringing this case closer to justice,” Sergeant Jen Zak of the Public Affairs Bureau wrote in a statement.