A former East Boston resident was returned to Boston this weekend following his arrest in Virginia for the stabbing death of 33-year-old Jose Ramirez in the East Boston apartment they once shared, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JORGE MERINO (D.O.B. 11/8/80) was just days away from deportation when Boston Police homicide detectives located him and charged him with murder for allegedly slashing Ramirez’ throat inside their Marion Street apartment on the morning of July 26, 2009, leading to Ramirez’ death three days later. Merino is expected to be arraigned on that charge today in East Boston District Court.

Merino had been sought for questioning in the days following the incident, but he was not located until December 2010, when Boston Police learned he had been arrested in Virginia and was about to be deported to El Salvador.

The investigation by Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors continued to gather speed late last year and investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest on Dec. 7. Boston Police travelled to Virginia late last week and took him into custody. He was rendited to Massachusetts on Saturday.

Merino is the third man to be arrested in 2011 for a Boston homicide committed in a prior year. LAVONRENCE PERKINS (D.O.B. 3/26/90) was arrested Jan. 18 for the May 7, 2010, shooting death of Cordell McAfee, and KIM GROSS, Jr. (D.O.B. 12/7/92), was arrested Feb. 11 for the Nov. 2, 2010, stabbing death of 21-year-old Richard Allen.