Updated 5:03 p.m., Aug. 3rd–
By Mike Hazlip— Citrus Heights police on Thursday announced the arrest of two suspects in an Aug. 1 shooting.
The Aug. 3 press release by the Citrus Heights Police Department said 19-year-old Anthony Murti and 28-year-old Richard Hernandez were arrested in Sierra County around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The arrests come just 16 hours after a man was shot and killed in the 7800 block of Sayonara Drive on Tuesday night, police said.
Murti is charged with murder and is being held without bail, police said. Sacramento County Jail records show he is in custody. Hernandez is being charged with accessory after the fact and is being held on a $200,000 bail, according to the release.
Authorities said the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office assisted Citrus Heights police in their search for the suspects. Citrus Heights police thanked the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office for their help in detaining the suspects.
“While it is rare to make a homicide arrest within 24 hours, it is possible through strong investigative drive and perseverance, technology, and great allied agency law enforcement partnerships;” Lt. Wesley Herman said in the release. “We are extremely proud of the work done by our homicide detectives and appreciative to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office who assisted.”
In a press release on Wednesday, police said officers responded to the area just after 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, following multiple 911 calls. Callers reported an adult male had been shot.
Officers provided life-saving measures at the scene, but the man succumbed to his injuries after being transported to an area hospital, the release said. The victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of his next of kin.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), crime data from 2020 shows close to two-thirds of homicides in the state ended with an arrest or a suspect being identified and located with enough evidence to refer for prosecution. That rate, referred to as the “clearance rate,” is used to track the efficacy of law enforcement and compare with national averages.
Nationwide, the clearance rate for homicides has been declining, down to 50% in 2020, while California’s clearance rate increased. An increasing rate means homicides in the state are more likely to end in an arrest today than 20 years ago. By contrast, California’s clearance rate for property crimes like burglary and theft is below the national average, with less than one in 10 reported property crimes ending in an arrest, according to the PPIC.
