Man arrested for allegedly killing ex-girlfriend in 2002 in Salinas

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- It has been almost 20 years since Loretta Paluszynski was found stabbed to death in her Salinas home. Police say this week they were finally able to track down and arrest the suspect.

46-year-old Juan Gabriel Nunez was extradited to the U.S. on September 8th and is booked in the Monterey County Jail for murder.

Police say Nunez is the ex-boyfriend of Paluszynski and is accused of stabbing the victim multiple times. Investigators say there's a "long history of documented domestic violence between the victim and Nunez."

Paluszynski was supposed to drop off her children with a babysitter on August 8, 2002. When she never showed up, the babysitter warned police, saying it was out of the ordinary for Paluszynski to not show up.

That's when police issued a welfare check on the victim's home and found her dead. The children were later located and were safe.

Later in the investigation, police say they found Nunez's vehicle in Southern California. It was believed from there that Nunez had fled to Mexico following the murder.

It was a series of anonymous tips and leads that led to Nunez's whereabouts and his arrest.