In 1986, Joselyn Martinez's father was shot and killed outside his NYC restaurant. She was 9-years-old.

Jose Martinez was having an altercation with a few customers and, as they moved outside, it grew violent. The New York Police Department said one of the customers, Justo Santos, 16 at the time, allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Jose in the chest.

Twenty-six years later, Joselyn Martinez has helped police track down Santos, leading to his arrest, reported CNN.

"My family told me, 'don't ever forget that name,'" Martinez said of the prime suspect in her father's shooting.

She worked with the police to find Santos in Miami where he was arrested and detained on Thursday.

Miami-Dade Police said Santos confessed to the 1986 killing of Jose Martinez. The NYPD is in Miami and plan to bring Santos back to New York on Friday.

"[Joselyn is] the person most responsible for finding her father's killer," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said. "She did outstanding work."

The case was closed in 1988 after the NYPD learned Santos fled to the Dominican Republic and was incarcerated and imprisoned there. He was released a year after being imprisoned.

"They should not have closed the case," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Tuesday. "(It) should have been looked at to see if there was additional information as to whether or not he was out of jail."

Joselyn said she ditched a career path to being a singer and actress and studied law and Latin American studies instead. Ten years after her father's death, she decided to take a look into it. She went to the NYPD's 34th precinct, but was turned away because the case was closed.

She admitted to herself that not knowing her father's killer was brought to justice bothered her.

"I hated admitting it because that meant that I was going to have to live with the possibility of this not coming about," she said. So she did something about it.

She saved pictures, read stories and reportedly spent less than $300 on websites that conduct background checks to locate Santos.

She went back to the 34th precinct and presented her information. Joselyn said the police were quick to act on the information she compiled and that she led them to the arrest.

"It took a team effort," Joselyn said.

Joselyn's mother, Idalia said, "I am thankful to God and to my daughter for never resting and didn't care for how many years."