Suspected killer caught in Mexico 27 years later

In the early morning hours of April 8, 1989, Steve Guerra and his girlfriend Deanna Moody, 21 at the time, were heading back to the Break Room Bar in Visalia. As they approached Murray Avenue and Willis Street, Guerra noticed a truck behind them flashing their headlights and honking the horn.

Steve, described by his mother as confident, got out of his car in the parking lot of The Break Room and asked the driver of the truck what he needed. The driver slammed the door open into Guerra and the passenger came around the truck. A scuffle ensued.

Guerra was stabbed in the fight and died in the parking lot.

Moody saw the whole thing, coming within inches of the killer's face.

Police identified the driver as Jason Alvarez and the passenger as Elio Benavente. Detectives believe Benavente was the one with the knife.

Alvarez also died at the scene.

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That was nearly 27 years ago.

Moody and Guerra’s family have sought justice since that fateful morning. Each year they return to Visalia Police Department for updates on the case.

Now, after an anonymous tip on his whereabouts in Mexico, they may have the justice they’ve been seeking for nearly three decades.

Visalia detectives said early Tuesday morning that Benavente, 46, was arrested by Mexican and United States authorities last week and transferred to El Paso, Texas. Visalia detectives James Cummings and Ricky Loza flew to El Paso to get the suspected killer and he was driven back to Visalia. They arrived just after 2 a.m.

"We don't close cold cases, they're open forever," said Sgt. Kevin Kroeze, who also went to El Paso to get Benavente.

The suspect will face two counts of homicide – one for the death of his accused accomplice and one for Guerra. The Tulare County District Attorney officially charged him with both counts in September 1989. Mikki Verissimo, a supervising district attorney, will prosecute the case. She said Benavente faces 51 years-to-life in prison, if convicted.

She was described as a bulldog in the courtroom.

It's not known if Benavente will hire a private attorney. If he doesn't, a deputy public defender will be appointed when he is arraigned this week.

For the family, it's the start to the end of a long road.

"You can hardly take it in," said Laverne Moody, Deanna's mother. "[Lt. Jeff McIntosh] never gave up. He told me to trust him. I am so glad I did."

Visalia Chief Jason Salazar said McIntosh, who recently retired, was the key to tracking Benavente down. It was his efforts with local media, including a dozen stories in the Times-Delta, that kept the case in the forefront. He and Laverne talked often throughout the years. He called her personally to give her the good news.

The Cold Case

The day before Steve Guerra died in 1989, his mother, Marlene, made him lunch, hugged him and walked him out to his maroon-colored 1974 Camaro.

Marlene and her son had a long conversation that day about Steve's daughter, 16-month-old Sasha. Marlene reassured her 25-year-old son, a single father, that she would help take care of his little girl.

Steve Guerra left for work and never saw his mother or his daughter again.

"He lives in my heart. He always will," Marlene Guerra said.

She kept her promise to her son.

A deadly morning

Just hours after Guerra was slain, police located the truck in the 300 block of Strawberry Street in Visalia. Inside they found Alvarez slumped over the wheel. He'd been stabbed to death. Police also found the knife they say was used in the slayings.

It, along with Deanna's eye-witness testimony, could prove key to a conviction.

Police questioned Benavente but didn't detain him because of insufficient evidence. Days later — after fingerprints were gathered, evidence was collected and a mug shot was put on file — Benavente fled the area when police came looking. He had been on the run since.

Police say he led a mostly normal life in Mexico. Holding a job and family. Police, however, never stopped pressuring Mexican authorities.

"[Visalia Police Department] will not stop looking for this suspect until he is in custody," said former-Lt. Jeff McIntosh in 2013. "We will not stop working until we have a resolution in this case."

Coping

Later in the morning of April 8, 1989, Marlene Guerra was getting Sasha ready to see her father. She put her in a dress and told Sasha her father would be home soon. Instead, Visalia detectives knocked on the door and told Marlene her son had been stabbed to death.

She sat on the couch and cried. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. She had lost her son and Sasha had lost her father.

"He was such a fun-loving person. He was a good father and a great son," Marlene Guerra said. "He was a sentimental person. His daughter is a lot like him."

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Marlene put all her attention into Sasha and taking care of Steve's two sisters.

"You want to scream and cry, but I had to set my priorities straight," said Marlene Guerra.

Steve Guerra used a video camera to document the early months of Sasha's life. The family still watches the videos to keep memories of Steve and Sasha playing together fresh in their minds.

Sasha, now 27, still lives in Tulare County.

"He was always smiling. He had an infectious laugh. I know he loved me," said Sasha, as she reflected back on stories, photos and videos of her father. "It makes me incredibly sad that I didn't have the time with him that I should have. I know what a great father he would have been if he had the chance."

Seeking justice

Deanna Moody watched her boyfriend die. She tried to stop the suspected killer from getting away by lunging for the keys in the truck, but came up empty.

She'd fallen in love and the plans were to eventually get married.

She'll never forget him, she said.

In the years following Steve Guerra's death, Deanna struggled to cope with what happened. Her mother, Laverne Moody, says her daughter battled depression for nearly 15 years after the stabbing.

It was at that time Laverne decided she was going to do something to help. She made a promise to her daughter, telling her she wouldn't let the case go.

"It affected my daughter so badly that I made it my cause. I have a lot of missions, and this is one of them," Laverne Moody said. "I never even met Steve, but this is something I want to see through."

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Moody spent almost 27 years seeking justice. She stapled wanted posters to utility poles. She's helped organize victim walks in Sacramento and got the case aired on "America's Most Wanted." She's also tracked down Benavente's family and persuaded then-Gov. Gray Davis to set aside a $50,000 state reward for the capture of the suspected killer.

The money is still available. It’s not known if the anonymous tipster will come forward now.

Marlene Guerra calls Laverne Moody a go-getter. McIntosh called her a bulldog. Laverne says she simply wants justice.

"This is going to be my OJ Simpson trial. I am going to sit in court until the very end," she said. "I wish I could smack him. He has not idea what he did to my family."

Marlene Guerra and Laverne Moody want closure.

"I would be happy to see an end. There was a beginning and now there needs to be an end," Laverne Moody said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Visalia Police Department at 734-8116.