A multi-state manhunt that spanned hundreds of miles ended Thursday night with the arrest of a 28-year-old man in Georgia, charged with the first-degree murder of 19-year-old Jennifer Sanchez Solis, who was found shot to death in a rural area of Wake County.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting around 11:00 a.m. on February 19, 2026, in the 3000 block of Avery Street, a quiet residential corridor located near the intersection of Rock Quarry and E. Garner roads, approximately two miles southeast of the town of Garner. Deputies arrived to find Solis suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators worked quickly to identify a suspect and learned that Solis and the man she knew had fled the area. By late Thursday night, the manhunt had crossed state lines. Ricardo Gonzalez Maldonado, 28, was taken into custody by the Georgia State Patrol around 9:00 p.m. following a coordinated effort involving multiple agencies.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Maldonado and the victim knew each other, though the exact nature of their relationship has not been disclosed. An arrest warrant for first-degree murder was obtained following discussions with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.
The arrest was the result of a rapid and extensive collaboration between law enforcement agencies across multiple states. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia State Patrol, the Atlanta Police Department, the Greenville Police Department (SC), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in locating and apprehending the suspect.
Sheriff Willie Rowe released a statement extending condolences to Solis’s loved ones and praising the collaborative effort. “Our investigators worked diligently to identify and locate the suspect, and our community is safer because of it,” Rowe said. “We are thankful for the collaboration of our law enforcement counterparts that helped make this arrest possible.”
The investigation on Avery Street involved a significant law enforcement presence, with several Wake County deputy vehicles and crime scene tape blocking off the area just off the road as investigators processed evidence. The location, about two miles southeast of Garner, is a residential area where such violence is rare, leaving neighbors shaken. The sheriff’s office has not released any information regarding a possible motive or the specific circumstances that led to the shooting, and the investigation remains active.
Jennifer Sanchez Solis, 19, has been remembered by those who knew her as a young woman with her entire life ahead of her. Her death marks a tragic loss for her family and community, who now face the unimaginable pain of mourning while awaiting the legal proceedings against the man accused of ending her life. Maldonado is currently in custody in Georgia and will face extradition to North Carolina to answer to the charge of first-degree murder.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate and has urged anyone with additional information about the case to come forward. As the community grapples with the loss of a young life, the swift arrest of a suspect across state lines has provided a measure of reassurance that those responsible will be held accountable. The 3000 block of Avery Street, a normally quiet stretch of road, now stands as the site where a 19-year-old’s life was violently taken, leaving behind grieving loved ones and a community united in sorrow.