TURLOCK — A man wanted for more than a decade in connection with a 1998 homicide in Turlock has been arrested, bringing renewed momentum to a case that has haunted investigators and the victim’s family for nearly 30 years.

José Luis Villa, 58, was taken into custody Oct. 13 after Turlock police located him during a traffic stop on Countryside Drive. He was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Facility on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Villa is accused of participating in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Alma Lisette Peralta on June 2, 1998, outside a home on Angelus Street. Peralta was shot three times with a shotgun and died at the scene. Her cousin, then 16, was also wounded but survived.

Investigators said the violence stemmed from a personal dispute involving stolen drugs. According to court records, Peralta and three friends had gone to Villa’s home earlier that night, knowing he was away and his girlfriend was present. Prosecutors later said Peralta stole Villa’s cocaine before heading to the Angelus Street residence.

Around 3 a.m., Villa and Rene Mendoza arrived at the home and confronted Peralta and her cousin, demanding the drugs be returned. The argument escalated outside, where Mendoza allegedly fired four shotgun rounds, striking both victims.

Mendoza was arrested in 2010 while attempting to cross into Texas from Mexico. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2012 and sentenced to 11 years in state prison.

At the time of Mendoza’s arrest, Peralta’s family expressed anguish and relief.

“She was a human being and he killed her like she was an animal,” said Alicia Morales, Peralta’s mother, through her son, Tony Peralta.

Tony Peralta said the family had long feared the case would remain unsolved.

“I had lost faith that my sister’s killer would ever be found,” he said. “It’s always hard to say goodbye to our loved ones because their dreams and promises die with them. But the memories of them are written well within our lives. They are the things that can’t be taken from us.”

Villa remained at large for years, living outside the country in Mexico. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 2011, but no leads surfaced until earlier this month, when a Turlock Police Department dispatcher conducting a system audit discovered updated address information linking Villa to the area.

Detectives launched immediate follow-up efforts, leading to Villa’s arrest.

The Turlock Police Department said the arrest reflects the persistence of officers, dispatchers, analysts, and investigators committed to solving cold cases and delivering justice, no matter how much time has passed.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Sgt. David Hernandez at (209) 668-6541 or dhernandez@turlock.ca.us.