The FBI Thursday offered a reward up to $25,000 for information leading to the location of a man with alleged ties to the Los Zetas cartel in Mexico, who was charged with a murder at a Long Beach restaurant in 2008.
Jose Manuel Flores, 47, is wanted for his alleged involvement in a shooting death that occurred inside the Brite Spot Mexican Grill, 1154 E. San Antonio Drive, on Oct, 18, 2008, according to FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller
Flores had a criminal history and was considered a felon at the time of the shooting. He was charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon on March 9, 2010, following an investigation by the Long Beach Police Department, Eimiller said.
When Long Beach police detectives determined he had fled the state, they requested assistance from the FBI to locate Flores, who was thought to have fled south of the U.S. border, she said.
On June 24, 2010, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Flores in the United States District Court in Los Angeles after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, she said.
Flores has ties to or may visit Southern California and Mexico. He previously lived in Long Beach and was believed to be currently living in Mexico. He should be considered armed and dangerous, with violent tendencies.
Flores, who uses a Nov. 25, 1977 birth date, was born in Florida. He has used aliases including “Willie” and “Malo.” He has also used the suffix “Jr.” at the end of his formal name.
He was described as a 5-foot, 7-inch Latino man weighing approximately 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He has tattoos on his right arm, back, chest, head and neck.
Anyone with any information regarding Flores’ whereabouts was urged to call the FBI’s Los Angeles field office at 310-477-6565, the Long Beach Police Department at 562-570-7244 or online tips at tips.fbi.gov.