Police have arrested a man who they say has been on the run since 1996 after he stabbed a man in Brooklyn and fled the country. 

Police say 51-year-old Bienvenido Rodriguez fatally stabbed 21-year-old Giovanni Malpica after a dispute over a woman that happened on Dekalb Avenue in Bushwick. 

News 12 is told Rodriguez fled the country to Chile and most recently the Dominican Republic, where he was arrested last month. 

Police brought Rodriguez back to Brooklyn on Thursday. He faced a judge Friday at the Brooklyn Supreme Court. 

Investigators say Malpica hit Rodriguez in the head with a boombox and him stabbed multiple times with a knife. 

A cousin of Malpica, who is an NYPD detective, says the family is happy and relieved that the suspect is finally being brought to justice. 

"The family is extremely happy that we're finally going to see some justice. The NYPD's effort has done so much work and we're extremely happy. I just talked to my cousin. My aunt this morning, today, and they can't believe that it's finally here after so many, many years,” said Alex Malpica, cousin of Giovanni Malpica. 

Rodriguez is charged with second-degree murder and faces 25 years to life if convicted.