1977 Murder Fugitive Captured In Texas

DENVER (CBS4) - A man charged with murder in 1977 for the shooting death of another man in Denver has been captured in Texas.

Benito Soto has been returned to Denver and charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Armando Garcia. That charge was originally filed in September 1977.

The charge alleges that Soto, 84, shot and killed Garcia at the Denampa Bar on Larimer Street on the night of June 21, 1977.

Soto was identified as the killer at the time of the shooting and a warrant issued for his arrest. Soto fled Denver soon after and the case went cold because his whereabouts remained unknown.

In recent months the Fugitive Unit of the Denver Police Department located Soto living in Texas and the Denver District Attorney's Office reopened the case.

Crucial witnesses were re-interviewed and Soto was interviewed in Texas by a Denver police cold case detective and a Denver DA cold case investigator. A Governor's Warrant was issued and Soto was returned to Denver earlier this month.

This is the oldest case the Denver DA's Cold Case Unit has prosecuted to date.

Soto remains in custody without bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 21.