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Suspect in 2013 Phoenix murder found, arrested

Posted at 1:07 PM, Jan 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-15 15:52:54-05

A woman searching for the killer of her fiancee can find a little peace Friday night.

According to court documents, 36-year-old Joseph Albert Tellez has been arrested and charged with the 2013 murder of Christopher Palacios.

Police say Palacios was attending a family barbeque in March 2013 near 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road in Phoenix when he stood up for a friend during an argument with Tellez when Tellez pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest.

Police collected all the beer cans at the barbeque for DNA evidence.

They were able to link this DNA evidence to Tellez through his time in state prison for aggravated assault.

During the past three years, Tellez was arrested several times listing various addresses. Police caught up with him Jan. 7 at his Avondale home near 103rd Avenue and Encanto Boulevard. 

Tellez is being held on a $750,000 bond on one charge of 2nd degree murder.

Palacios' fiancee was very active in trying to find Chris' killer, telling ABC15 just after the murder that they were planing on getting married the next month.