Capital Murder Fugitive Captured in Arizona After Three-Month Manhunt

A Three-Month Chase Comes to an End

A suspect in a murder case in Texas was arrested in Douglas, Arizona, on June 26. Diego Carlos Rodriguez, 18, was taken into custody at about 3 p.m., according to the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office. The arrest closed out a cross-state manhunt that had stretched nearly three months and drawn in agencies from multiple levels of government.

Rodriguez, alongside a co-suspect named Felizardo Torres Mascareno, is accused of gunning down two 18-year-olds in a shooting that claimed one life and left the other critically injured — with the pair allegedly firing more than 30 shots before stealing the victim's truck and running over one of the victims. Deputies had responded around 10 p.m. on March 26 to a reported shooting in the area of County Road 103.

The Night That Changed Everything

Investigators identified the two victims as 18-year-old Kace Dean Leatherwood and 18-year-old Luis Velez. Leatherwood later died from his injuries, while Velez survived. The brutality of the attack — dozens of shots fired, a truck stolen, a victim run over — painted a picture of calculated violence, not a chaotic moment of impulse.

Rodriguez was wanted for a homicide that occurred on March 27, 2026, in Kaufman, Texas, and the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office issued multiple warrants for his arrest. In April, federal officials issued a wanted alert for Rodriguez, and at the time, authorities said two suspects remained at large. Family members of Leatherwood identified Rodriguez as one of the suspects, though local and federal authorities had not initially confirmed that connection publicly.

A Multi-Agency Effort Pays Off

The arrest was described as a collaborative effort between the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office and local agencies, such as the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. Douglas, Arizona, sits directly on the U.S.-Mexico border — a detail that underscores just how far Rodriguez had traveled, and potentially how close he may have come to crossing out of U.S. jurisdiction entirely.

Sheriff Bryan Beavers credited the outcome to "countless hours of investigative work and the unwavering commitment" of deputies, investigators, and law enforcement partners, adding that his thoughts remain with the victim's family. Beavers also praised the "numerous" local, state, and federal partners who helped track Rodriguez down.

What Comes Next

Authorities plan to extradite Rodriguez back to Texas to face charges. A capital murder conviction in Texas carries the most severe penalties under state law, including the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison. Rodriguez was 18 at the time of the alleged crime — old enough to be tried and sentenced as an adult under Texas law.

The case is far from fully resolved. One suspect is now in custody, but the larger question of how justice will be served for Kace Leatherwood's family still depends on what unfolds in a Texas courtroom. For a community in Kaufman County that has waited nearly three months for answers, Friday's arrest in a border town nearly 900 miles away at least signals that the system — slow as it sometimes moves — eventually catches up.