Suspect Arrested In Killing Of California Police Officer

A suspect was arrested in the killing of a California police officer, police said Friday. Newman Police Cpl. Ronil Singh was shot and killed during a traffic stop just hours after Christmas.

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters that Gustavo Perez Arriaga was arrested in Bakersfield on Friday. The sheriff said Perez Arriaga was in the country illegally after crossing the border in Arizona.

Christianson didn't say when that happened but that he has been in the U.S. for several years. Christianson said Perez Arriaga is from Mexico and was trying to cross back over the border before his arrest.

The sheriff said Perez Arriaga had two prior drunken-driving arrests and known gang affiliations. Christianson said Perez Arriaga should have been reported to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency after his arrests.

"This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to ICE," Christianson said. "We were prohibited, law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws, and that led to the encounter with Officer Singh. I'm suggesting that the outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasn't restricted, prohibited or had their hands tied because of political interference."

The sheriff said he didn't know if Perez Arriaga had been deported following his prior arrests. He also said that no motive had been established in this week's killing.

SEE: Police Zero In On Cop Killing Suspect Who Entered US Illegally

This is a developing story and will be updated.