On the run for nearly 5 years, man accused in brutal, fatal attack on estranged wife now in custody
MILWAUKEE -- After nearly five years on the run, a fugitive is behind bars. He is accused of killing his estranged wife on Milwaukee's south side. It was a much lesser alleged crime in another state that got him busted.
"It`s surreal," Peggy West, spokeswoman for the family of Dayana Garcia said. "It's still very, very fresh."
Jose Luis Discua-Bados
In January of 2012, Jose Luis Discua-Bados is accused of committing a heinous attack on his estranged wife behind a home on the city's south side.
As Dayana Garcia left for work, investigators say Discua-Bados repeatedly hit her in the head with a two-by-four -- eventually stabbing her to death in front of her grandmother.
"There`s a lot of pain there," West said.
Discua-Bados went on the run -- with many featuring the Honduras native fled the country.
Law enforcement officials chased leads. Family members and friends held vigils, handed out fliers and made phone calls.
Dayana Garcia
West, a Milwaukee County supervisor, has been helping with the efforts over the years.
Peggy West
"At times, it felt like you were looking for a needle in a haystack," West said.
Finally, nearly five years later, Discua-Bados was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma -- taken in on a drunk driving charge. Officials say he'd been using an alias.
"We got justice for Dayana and that`s what we set out to do," West said.
Facing a charge of first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, Discua-Bados is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $1 million bond.
Jose Luis Discua-Bados
"This is one step closer to getting that closure," West said.
If convicted, Discua-Bados could face life in prison.
He'll be in court in Milwaukee on Friday, January 13th.
Jose Luis Discua-Bados