A 27-year-old Oregon man was charged with murder in the Dec. 10 stabbing death of a beloved New Jersey veterinarian after he was tracked traveling across the country, police said.
Christian Custodio-Aquino, of Portland, is accused of brutally stabbing 45-year-old Dr. Michael Anthony on his front lawn shortly before 6 a.m.
The two men were acquaintances, according to a probable cause statement, local media reported.
A pair of prescription glasses left at the scene led police to Custodia-Aquino, who was on the run, the Courier-Post reported.
Police traced the lenses to a Washington state retailer, who told authorities Custodio-Aquino bought a pair matching that description.
His black sedan, meanwhile, was traced to Pennsylvania about an hour after the slaying, then detected the following day in Florida, and then in Alabama and Texas before he was caught in Fresno, California, on Feb. 11, NJ.com reported.
He is being held in the Fresno County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey, officials said.
“Our community continues to mourn the loss of Dr. Anthony and I am pleased that a suspect in his death is in custody,” Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher said in a statement Friday.
Anthony’s body was found by a neighbor walking his dog around shortly after 7a.m. outside the vet’s home on Sharrowvalle Road in Cherry Hill.
A witness told NBC News the neighbor screamed after seeing the scene, then called police.
Cherry Hill police said Custodia-Aquino is originally from Peru.
It is not clear how the men knew each other.
Dr. Anthony was the owner of Haddon Vet in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.
He was described as a life-long lover of animals, and a loving and compassionate father in his obituary.
“He treated not only the family pet but also the worry in their human companions,” his family said.
