More than ten years after a dead man was discovered outside a California courthouse, police say they’ve arrested his murderer.
Christopher Wagstaff had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in August 2014 only to be released from custody later that evening. The following morning, Wagstaff, 43, was found lying dead outside of the Kern County courthouse.
An autopsy report determined he suffered blunt-force trauma, and his death was ruled a homicide.
On Thursday, a decade after the case went cold, Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeremy Daniel Cruzen, 47, in connection to the homicide, KBAK reported. He has been charged with first-degree murder, court records reveal.
The Independent has reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information.
Last week, police said detectives were interviewing Cruzen in connection with the 2014 death, KBAK reported.
One month after Wagstaff died, in September 2014, Bakersfield Police released a surveillance video capturing a “person of interest” in the killing, who was wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts, and was pushing a shopping cart in the footage.
At the time, police offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and the filing of a complaint regarding a suspect responsible for the homicide.
"I just want to know why. Why did they have to take such a wonderful man away?" the dead man’s wife, Krystle Wagstaff, who shared two kids with Christopher, told KBAK in September 2014. She said she wanted justice and said she had no idea why anyone would have targeted her husband.
It’s not immediately clear how police linked Cruzen to the incident.
Cruzen was arrested while in the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, records show. He was admitted there last May and was eligible for parole in June.
Cruzen is expected in court the afternoon of May 12.
