Man to Face Charge in Fredericksburg Homicide

Authorities have taken Antonio Zarco Melchor into custody in Marietta, GA, for the murder of Armando Escobar, a man who was stabbed to death in a homeless camp behind Central Park Townhomes in July.

City of Fredericksburg Police spokeswoman Natalia Bledsoe said that just after 6 a.m. on Tuesday, authorities with the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement served a search warrant at a residence for Melchor.

Bledsoe said it was still unclear what led Melchor to allegedly stab Escobar.  

Escobar is also known as “Juan Zarco” or “Michaocano.” He was arrested at the home of a relative.

Bledose said it is believed that Melchor fled from Virginia immediately after the crime on July 25.

“Juan Zarco will be extradited back to Fredericksburg to face a charge of first- degree homicide,” said Bledose in a release.

City of Fredericksburg police classified the death as “suspicious” in July and said that due to “obvious signs of trauma to the body” the case was being investigated as a homicide.

Bledsoe said Escobar lived in the homeless camp with a number of other Hispanic men and the area was well known to the Hispanic community in the Bragg Hill area as "La Montana."

Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Patrick Lamb at 540-654-5740. 

Editor's Note: The above information came from the City of Fredericksburg Police. Where arrests or charges are mentioned it does not indicate a conviction. 

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