Man wanted in shooting of 9-year-old is arrested in West Virginia

A man wanted in a Lexington shooting that injured a 9-year-old boy last weekend was arrested Thursday afternoon.

Kanawha County, West Virginia sheriff's deputies arrested Alberto Piñedas Contreras with help from the U.S. Marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities, Lexington police said.

Cpl. Brian Humphreys of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office said Contreras was arrested at a relative's home south of Charleston, W.Va., after Lexington police provided a location for detectives to check. He said no one else was home at the time of the arrest. Contreras was taken to the South Central Regional Jail after a brief struggle with deputies. Humphreys said there is no time frame for extradition to Lexington.

Contreras, 28, is charged with first-degree assault in Saturday's shooting near Russell Cave and Hollow Creek roads that wounded a boy, who has been identified only as Antonio.

His parents pulled into the parking lot of Russell Cave Plaza near New Circle Road after bullets pierced the back window of their black GMC Envoy, police have said. Antonio was shot in the neck and has been at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital since the shooting.

Justin Hagan, a family friend, said Antonio remains in critical condition.

With the arrest of Contreras, "this is one less worry the family has to concern themselves with," Hagan said. "Now they can focus all of their attention and energy on Antonio."

Contreras was arrested days after police released a composite sketch of a possible shooter and getaway vehicle. On Wednesday, police issued an arrest warrant for Contreras with an updated vehicle description hours after he was released from the Fayette County jail on a warrant charging him with nonpayment of fines from 2009.

Police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said details surrounding Contreras' arrest will be made available Friday.

This story was originally published March 12, 2015 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Man wanted in shooting of 9-year-old is arrested in West Virginia."