Man from Phoenix put on Most Wanted list
A man from Phoenix wanted by San Diego police in connection with his girlfriend’s death in 2016 was added to the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted fugitive list with a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Raymond Samuel “RJ” McLeod Jr. is wanted by the San Diego Police Department in the killing of 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell on June 10, 2016, according to the Marshals Service.
In a news release Monday, the Marshals Service said it was intensifying the manhunt for the 37-year-old McLeod, who it believes fled through Mexico to Central America after Mitchell’s death. His last reported locations were in Belize in 2018 and Guatemala in 2017.
“Raymond McLeod will be the first fugitive in history on our 15 Most Wanted list with an initial reward of up to $50,000,” U.S. Marshal Service Director Donald Washington said in the release. “We want McLeod’s new status as a 15 Most Wanted fugitive and the $50,000 reward amount to be broadcasted far and wide. McLeod poses a significant threat to the public and must be brought to justice.”
This is the first time in agency history for a fugitive to debut on the list with a reward of up to $50,000 for any information directly leading to his arrest, the release stated.
Police officers responded to a 911 call of a woman not breathing June 10, 2016, at a San Diego apartment, and Mitchell was pronounced dead on the scene by medics, according to the release.
The San Diego District Attorney’s Office charged McLeod with murder, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, the release stated. In December 2016, the Marshals Service was asked by local authorities to lead the fugitive investigation for McLeod.
He is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. He weighed 245 pounds and had a tattooed muscular physique at the time he fled, according to the release. Authorities said he may be going by the name Matt or Mateo and may have grown a beard.
Anyone with information about McLeod can contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 877WANTED-2 (800-926-8332), or go online at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.