Irving police hunt for homicide suspect thought to be in Mexico

Police have identified a 19-year-old suspect in a fatal stabbing in January.

Octavio Lopez-Lara is accused in an arrest warrant of killing Osvaldo Mendoza, 22, of Dallas, according to a news release from Irving police.

Detectives believe that Lopez-Lara fled to Guanajuato, Mexico, shortly after the crime to avoid capture, the release said.

The stabbing occurred just before 4 a.m. Jan. 25 in the 2900 block of Proctor Street in Irving.

Investigators determined that Mendoza and his friends left a gas station in the 1900 block of West Northwest Highway in Dallas after a night out and minutes later were involved in a traffic altercation with people in a navy blue or black sport utility vehicle.

Both vehicles drove to Irving and stopped on Proctor Street, where Mendoza was stabbed multiple times, the release said.

Lopez-Lara was identified as the suspect after surveillance camera video was released to media.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Irving police hunt for homicide suspect thought to be in Mexico."