A post on the San Diego Police Department official Instagram account on Wednesday gave praise to the Western Division Beach Team for an arrest of a suspect accused of homicide in New Jersey. During a routine patrol by Western Division Beach Team officers in Ocean Beach in January, officers encountered two individuals attempting to conceal open alcohol containers and extinguish an illegal beach fire. One of the individuals was known to officers and was taken into custody for narcotics-related offenses. The other provided false identification, raising officers' suspicions.
Following further investigation, police identified the second individual as Christopher Blevins, a 45-year-old man from Runnemede, New Jersey, who had an active homicide warrant. Authorities later confirmed that Blevins was wanted for the murder of his girlfriend, 50-year-old Laura Hughes, whose remains were discovered inside a refrigerator in Belleplain State Forest, Cape May County.
Blevins was arrested in San Diego on January 13 and later extradited to New Jersey, where he has since been charged with first-degree murder. According to court documents, Blevins allegedly strangled Hughes in their shared apartment before disposing of her body in the abandoned refrigerator. He was reportedly seen driving a pickup truck with the refrigerator in the bed last summer in Long Beach Township and Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
Authorities believe Blevins fled to Mexico in August, where he later turned himself in to authorities. However, because criminal charges had not yet been filed in the U.S. at that time, Mexican officials did not detain him. He eventually returned to the U.S. and moved between Delaware and California before his arrest in San Diego.
Blevins remains in custody in New Jersey, awaiting trial.
Following further investigation, police identified the second individual as Christopher Blevins, a 45-year-old man from Runnemede, New Jersey, who had an active homicide warrant. Authorities later confirmed that Blevins was wanted for the murder of his girlfriend, 50-year-old Laura Hughes, whose remains were discovered inside a refrigerator in Belleplain State Forest, Cape May County.
Blevins was arrested in San Diego on January 13 and later extradited to New Jersey, where he has since been charged with first-degree murder. According to court documents, Blevins allegedly strangled Hughes in their shared apartment before disposing of her body in the abandoned refrigerator. He was reportedly seen driving a pickup truck with the refrigerator in the bed last summer in Long Beach Township and Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
Authorities believe Blevins fled to Mexico in August, where he later turned himself in to authorities. However, because criminal charges had not yet been filed in the U.S. at that time, Mexican officials did not detain him. He eventually returned to the U.S. and moved between Delaware and California before his arrest in San Diego.
Blevins remains in custody in New Jersey, awaiting trial.