The stabbing happened around 3:30 am at a dairy farm on Merced Avenue near Bloss Avenue, which is south of the Delhi area.
The Merced County Sheriff's Office says 38-year-old Emilio Herrera was in a fight with a 31-year-old man.
As the disagreement escalated, investigators say Herrera fatally stabbed the victim.
Investigators say Herrera left the area after the stabbing.
After about 15 hours, investigators were able to capture Herrera.
"They were able to obtain information about the possible whereabouts and they continued their investigation until they started whittling things down," explained Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.
"Then they had an area of suspect where they actually stayed and surveyed and sure enough, our suspect showed up.
The stabbing has left neighbors on edge.
"It's very unfortunate. I'm still processing my thoughts because he looked like a very peaceful guy. He never looked like he was very problematic," said a woman who lives nearby.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, told Action News she would see the victim around this dairy farm often and that he was an employee there.
"It's very heartbreaking, especially because we know he had family. He was trying to live the American dream, in other words. He was trying to support his family," the woman said.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff's Office.
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