Later Tuesday evening, an LAPD official confirmed that Loera was the suspect. They had not been able to positively identify him as Loera until Tuesday night.
The LAPD has officers in Mexico who have been working on the case.
In an LAPD news release Tuesday afternoon, the department stated:
"This afternoon at about 2:15 pm Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) North Hollywood Homicide Detectives were notified by members of a United States (US) Marshal's Fugitive Task Force of the arrest of a man believed to be Omar Armando Loera, suspected of the brutal July 24, 2010 murder of Chere Osmanhodzic. ...
"The Baja State Police located a suspect believed to be Loera in the border town of Mexicali. U.S. and Mexican authorities are in the process of following standard protocols to transfer a U.S. Citizen in Mexican custody, to the U.S. It is expected that Loera will be transferred to U.S. authorities without delay, possibly as soon as tonight or tomorrow."
Loera is accused of murdering Chere Osmanhodzic and burning her apartment in Valley Village July 24.
Firefighters found Osmanhodzic's body in her burning apartment on the 11500 block of West Riverside Drive on July 24. Investigators believe the fire was set to cover up her murder.
The victim's fiance, Adam Culvey, told police that he had returned from the store when he spotted a man in the victim's apartment. He chased the man for several blocks, but the suspect got away.
When Culvey returned, he said the apartment was on fire. Her body was discovered after the fire was put out.
Loera was described as a heavily tattooed transient who has a criminal history. Loera has served time for crimes such as transporting marijuana, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and robbery with a knife.
