CLOVIS, N.M. — A murder suspect is back behind bars after police said he was “mistakenly released” from a detention facility.

Officers with the Clovis Police Department learned last Friday morning about a domestic violence call. They learned Alex Zapata, a suspect mistakenly released while pending charges for a July 2023 murder, was in the apartment. Clovis police obtained and executed a search warrant but didn’t find Zapata there then.

Then, around 11:23 a.m. Thursday, agents from the U.S. Marshal Service worked with Clovis police to respond to a home belonging to Zapata’s associate, believing he may be there. Officers surrounded the home and called for him to come out. Zapata came out and reportedly surrendered himself.

Zapata is back in jail where he will be held pending the murder charge he faced.