FBI nabs man from most wanted list suspected in Plainfield slaying

PLAINFIELD —  A murder suspect who was recently added to the FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives list has been captured in Virginia.

Federal authorities announced Saturday that Walter Yovany Gomez was arrested Friday in Woodbridge, thanks in part to tips from the public. They will now seek to extradite him to New Jersey, where he faces murder and racketeering charges.

It wasn't known Saturday if Gomez has retained an attorney.

According to the FBI, Gomez was a member of the Plainfield Locos Salvatrucha gang, which is part of the larger MS-13 organization.

On the morning of the murder, Gomez and a co-conspirator hit Matute in the head with a baseball bat, slit his throat and stabbed him 17 times in the back with a screwdriver, the FBI said. The motive for the murder was a belief that Matute had been socializing with a rival gang member. The co-conspirator was arrested and ultimately convicted with Matute’s murder.

Gomez had been placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list on April 12.
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Previous reporting by Adam Hochron was included in this report

Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com

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