Four men have been arrested in connection with a killing at a California pizza joint more than 20 years ago, police announced.
Ryan Cunningham, 22, was killed on March 20, 2004, while sitting on the patio of La Bella’s Pizza Garden in Chula Vista, California, when he was attacked by a group of men who beat him with a variety of weapons, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
One of the suspects stabbed Cunningham before the men fled the scene in a pair of vehicles. Cunningham was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries, NBC San Diego reports.
Jose Roque-Garcia, 50; Carlos Herrera, 42; Marco Herrera, 41; and Franco Dominguez, 43, were arrested in connection to the stabbing. They are scheduled to appear in the downtown San Diego courthouse on Tuesday.
Roque-Garcia was previously held in the county jail on a separate murder case out of South Bay. He has been in police custody since December.
Police did not explain what change occurred that allowed them to pursue the men as suspects in the stabbing.
All four of the men are being held without bail.
The Chula Vista police have been searching for the men since the stabbing occurred in 2004. Last year, the department asked for the public’s assistance in tracking down Cunningham’s killer.
It noted at the time that several private parties — including a baby shower — were being held at the pizza restaurant at the time of the stabbing, suggesting there should have been multiple witnesses to the crime.
“It’s clear that there are witnesses that know who stabbed the victim to death or have other valuable information that can help police and investigators to solve this case, but maybe they are afraid to come forward or simply don’t want to be involved,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement at the time. “The only way that we can keep all our neighborhoods safe is through partnership with the community.”
It’s unclear if a tip from that drive prompted the arrests.
The city of Chula Vista is approximately 16 miles south of San Diego.
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