Municipal police in Tijuana arrested a man known as Javier “El Hassan” in the early hours of April 16, ending a months-long manhunt tied to a brutal killing in the Mariano Matamoros Sur neighborhood. Officers detained the suspect on Avenida Tehuacán, near the site where the victim’s body was originally discovered.
Javier had been wanted since December 2025 on an arrest warrant issued by the Fiscalía Especializada en Delitos Contra la Vida, the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes Against Life. The warrant stemmed from a homicide that occurred on August 12, 2025.
Body Found Wrapped in Black Plastic
On that date, authorities discovered the body of a man estimated to be between 40 and 45 years old. The victim was wrapped in black plastic sheeting, bound with tape, and had his hands tied behind his back. An examination revealed multiple fractures to the face and skull consistent with blunt-force trauma.
The victim has not been publicly identified. Investigators linked the killing to street-level drug dealing in the area, describing it as a settling of accounts between local dealers.
Arrest After Four-Month Search
The arrest came roughly four months after the warrant was issued. Police located Javier on the same avenue where the victim’s body had been found, in a neighborhood well known to Tijuana residents as one of the city’s sprawling hillside colonias on the eastern edge of the municipality. Mariano Matamoros Sur sits along the road toward Tecate, far from the tourist zones near the border crossing and Avenida Revolución.
Tijuana recorded more than 1,500 homicides in recent years, with many cases tied to disputes over local drug distribution routes. The city’s Specialized Prosecutor’s Office has focused on clearing open homicide warrants as part of broader efforts to address the backlog of unsolved cases.
What Happens Next
Javier “El Hassan” was turned over to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office following his detention. He faces formal charges related to the August 2025 homicide. Authorities have not disclosed whether additional suspects are being sought in connection with the killing.
The case was first reported by Punto Norte.