JUSTICE FOR DEPUTY MARCH MURDER SUSPECT FINALLY ARRESTED IN MEXICO AND FACING EXTRADITION.

Byline: Susan Abram and Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writers

In a case that became a glaring symbol of how illegal-immigrant fugitives escape U.S. justice, the man accused of killing Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy David March in 2002 has been arrested in Mexico and faces extradition, authorities said Thursday.

Armando Garcia was captured Thursday in a small town outside Guadalajara, and officials with the Attorney General's Office in Mexico City said they will begin the process of returning him to the U.S. - proceedings expected to take about two months.

``It's a great day,'' said March's widow, Theresa, who learned early in the day that Garcia had been apprehended.

``I feel so relieved that no one was hurt. No one has to live another nightmare at the hands of Armando Garcia. That was my heaviest burden - that he would kill again for his freedom. I prayed for this day.''

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley refused to comment on the case, but scheduled a news conference for this morning. Sheriff Lee Baca and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich also refused to comment.

March, a 33-year-old deputy from Saugus, was gunned down April 29, 2002, as he approached a black Nissan Maxima on an Irwindale street. Garcia, an undocumented worker who had previously been deported four times and was wanted on suspicion of attempted murder, was identified as the prime suspect in the death of the seven-year law enforcement veteran.

U.S. officials believed Garcia had fled to Mexico and sought help from authorities there. The Mexican government has repeatedly refused to extradite to the U.S. as many as 3,000 fugitives - including up to 1,000 accused of crimes in California - who could face the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.

But the Mexican Attorney General's Office said Thursday that Garcia's detention could lead to better cooperation on extraditions between the two countries.

Mexican officials said their search for Garcia spanned three states before they tracked him down in Tonala, a small town near Guadalajara, a popular tourist destination in the western state of Jalisco.

The March case sparked a national outcry as lawmakers, prosecutors and law enforcement called for changes in the system that would allow undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and flee to be brought to justice.

Theresa March testified before a congressional hearing that spotlighted the Mexican law, which she believed stood in the way of justice for her slain husband. She appeared at rallies and worked to lobby for Garcia's arrest and extradition.

Then, last year, Mexican courts granted the extradition of two murder suspects who faced life in prison with the possibility of parole for cases in Ventura and San Bernardino counties. A fugitive suspected of killing a Denver police officer was returned to Colorado last summer after prosecutors agreed he might someday be paroled.

When the Denver district attorney decided not to seek the death penalty or life without parole for the slaying suspect, Cooley said he would not make similar concessions in the Garcia case.

``It's a matter of principle,'' Cooley said at the time. ``We here in Los Angeles County are not going to discount the price for killing'' simply because a suspect flees the country.

While a spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney's Office worried Thursday that ``there could be some consequences'' if Cooley decides to pursue the death penalty against Garcia, the Mexican Attorney General's Office appeared willing to work through any problems.

``Armando Garcia ... was one of the most sought after fugitives by the United States,'' said a statement issued by the Mexican government. ``(His) detention will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in extradition matters.''

Staff Writers Lisa Friedman and Rick Orlov contributed to this report.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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