Man Wanted In CT National Guard Member's Death Arrested In San Diego

WORCESTER, MA — A man wanted in the homicide of a Connecticut National Guard member and her 11-year-old daughter in Worcester was captured in California on Monday, according to police.

Dejan Belnavis was the subject of an interstate search involving local and federal law enforcement across New England. He was arrested after a motor vehicle stop near the San Diego Zoo on Monday and will be charged with murder once he is returned to Worcester.

The arrest comes just under a week after Chasity Nuñez and her daughter, Zella, were shot while sitting in a parked car in Worcester.

Nuñez was a decorated patient administration specialist serving with the 142nd Medical Company in Danbury. She began serving in 2020 and received the National Defense Service Medal, the Service Ribbon, and the Army Achievement Medal, MassLive reported.

National Guard Major David Pytlik described Nuñez as "beloved by her fellow soldiers in the 142nd Medical Company," according to MassLive.

The National Guard has made its Behavioral Health Teams and Chaplain Corps available for "assistance to any member or family member in need."

A second suspect in the shooting, Karol Mangual, 28, was arrested Wednesday in Worcester.

Both Belnavis and Mangual were tracked to Hartford immediately following the shooting. Belnavis' vehicle was found near a relative's home in Hartford.

U.S. Marshals in Maine and Rhode Island along with San Diego police helped make the Belnavis arrest. He could could fight extradition, meaning it would take longer for him to return to Massachusetts to face charges.

See related: Dejan Belnavis Arrested In San Diego, Will Face Murder Charge