Update 11:30 a.m. June 21:
A third suspect was arrested in the case Tuesday afternoon.
Hall County Sheriff's Office officials confirmed that Elber Tiburcio Romero, age 19 of Gillsville, was arrested without incident at his home on Pond Fork Way around 4 p.m. Tuesday and faces charges of murder and armed robbery. He was also wanted on a probation violation.
Romero is currently in the Hall County Jail without bond. The arrest marks the third of four suspects in the January murder at Tree Park Apartments on Thurmon Tanner Parkway being put behind bars.
The Flowery Branch Police Department is continuing to investigate the case. The lone suspect that has not yet been arrested is Noe Sanchez Rivera, age 18.
AccessWDUN will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
Original story, posted 8:26 p.m. June 16:
The Flowery Branch Police Department on Thursday made an arrest in connection with a murder at Tree Park Apartments that took place earlier in 2023. Two other suspects remain at large.
The arrest was made following a six-month investigation into the murder of Mateo Rizo, 19. Flowery Branch Police arrested Faustino Junior Sanchez, 18, Thursday evening and charged him with one count of felony murder, one count of armed robbery and one count of false statements and concealment of facts.
Officers responded to the 1400 building in the Tree Park Apartments off Thurmon Tanner Parkway on Jan. 10 after reports came in of a shooting. At the scene, officers found Rizo lying in the kitchen of an apartment with a gunshot wound. At that time Rizo was immediately administered aid and transported to the hospital. He was later said to be in stable condition. Rizo succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 17, prompting Flowery Branch investigators to elevate the case to a homicide investigation.
Investigations following that incident revealed the initial shooting was drug-related. Faustino Junior Sanchez, Noe Sanchez Rivera, 18, Elber Tiburcio Romero, 18, and Bryan Samuel Guzman, 18, reportedly had plans to rob Rizo of marijuana and money on the night of the incident, Flowery Branch Police Chief Chris Hulsey confirmed Friday.
Guzman is already in custody at the Hall County Jail on unrelated charges, according to a release from the Flowery Branch Police Department.
Rivera and Romero are still at large. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact Flowery Branch Police Lt. Ford at (770) 967-6336.
The case remains under investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming.
