PHOENIX — Authorities say a California man has been arrested for the 17-year-old murder of an El Mirage man.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials announced the arrest Thursday of Frank Gallas Mendoza of Fresno.
Investigators say police went to check on Richard Cacero Lucero at his home in December 2001 and found him dead.
His death was ruled a homicide.
DPS director Col. Frank Milstead says advances in DNA testing and other technology in the state crime lab allowed investigators to revisit the case.
Latent fingerprints from the scene of Lucero's killing were entered into an FBI database.
Mendoza's name came up as a match.
Authorities say local police arrested Mendoza at his Fresno home without incident.
He will be transported to Arizona to face murder charges.
