By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Published: Thursday, February 9, 2012

Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen Kelly to determine whether a Greene County man should be extradited to Mexico to stand trial on rape and murder charges.

Mexico has formally requested the extradition of Dylan Ryan Johnson, 29, of Cumberland for the Sept. 7, 2003, rape and murder of Hilario Garcia Rosales, 16, at the Hotel Villa Empalme in Empalme Escobedo, Guanajuato.

Hotel staff said that a seemingly drunk Johnson rented a room in the early morning hours, motioned for a waiting Rosales to join him and then left alone about 45 minutes later, according to the extradition motion.

The boy's body was discovered that afternoon in the hotel room, and the medical examiner ruled that he died of strangulation at about the time Johnson left the hotel, the motion says.

Johnson is being held without bail until a hearing on Monday to determine whether there`s enough evidence to warrant his extradition. His federal public defender, Penn Hackney, couldn`t immediately be reached for comment.

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