Venezuelan national arrested in Utah for fatal stabbing of Washington state high school student

Cedeno-Ponce has been charged in King County Superior Court with second-degree murder. He remains in custody at the Utah County Jail awaiting extradition back to Washington. The defendant was apprehended by the FBI Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force in Orem, Utah.

According to court documents, Cedeno-Ponce "drove to a location in Tukwila to engage in a fight with high schoolers and armed himself with a knife before anyone approached him. During the fight, he fatally struck the victim. Cedeno-Ponce subsequently left the state and abandoned his vehicle in Idaho."

Tukwila Police said in a news release that officers responded to reports of a fight at 14400 Tukwila International Boulevard on January 10 near Foster High School. Tukwila is a city located in the Seattle metro area. Upon arrival, officers located a victim suffering from a stab wound. Despite attempting life-saving measures, the victim, identified as 16-year-old Alan Jaller, was pronounced dead at the scene. Tukwila Police detectives established probable cause to list Cedeno-Ponce as the suspect.

The victim was a Colombian national who arrived in the state with his family two years ago. He lived in Seattle and attended Evergreen High School, according to a GoFundMe account set up for his family and funeral expenses. Jaller's parents told Kiro 7 News that they knew Cedeno-Ponce before the alleged killing.

Victim of stabbing

Authorities listed Cedeno-Ponce as being a resident of Seattle. Documents posted to X revealed that the defendant has an active ICE detainer and is a citizen of Venezuela.ICE ERO Seattle has not yet confirmed Cedeno-Ponce's immigration status.

Documents show that Cedeno-Ponce has an active ICE detainer

Members of the public can report immigration-related crimes or suspicious activity by calling (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

The Post Millennial reached out to ICE ERO Seattle.