In the pre-dawn hours of January 30, 2020, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet near the intersection of Huntsville Avenue and Newell Drive in Springdale, Arkansas. Responding to the reports, police discovered 23-year-old Joseph Soto, a Hispanic male, lying in a driveway with a gunshot wound. Emergency first aid was administered at the scene, but Soto was pronounced dead. Investigators learned that Soto had been visiting acquaintances at the residence, suggesting the shooting was not a random act of violence.
The investigation quickly identified three men as persons of interest. Witnesses placed Ramon Ilario Flores, 28, Daniel 'Danny' Iraburo, 22, and Alexander 'Knockz' Amador, 26, at the scene of the crime. According to one witness account, an argument preceded the shooting, during which Flores allegedly slapped Soto. It is believed that Amador then shot Soto, later claiming he thought Soto was reaching for a weapon.
Following the fatal shooting, the three suspects fled to Fort Smith, Arkansas. In early February 2020, authorities located and arrested Flores and Iraburo, charging both as accomplices to capital murder. The alleged shooter, Alexander Amador, remained at large for a short time longer. On February 13, 2020, U.S. Marshals tracked him down in Fort Smith. After a brief chase, during which Amador reportedly fired at officers, he was apprehended in the bathroom of a garage and taken into custody without further incident. He was subsequently charged with capital murder.
