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Fugitive Nabbed After 8 Years for California Murder
11 Jan
Summary
- Suspect captured after eight years on the run in Mexico.
- Man accused of stabbing ex-girlfriend's boyfriend to death.
- Extradited suspect pleaded not guilty to murder charge.
After an eight-year manhunt, Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, has been extradited to Orange County, California, to face murder charges. Mexican authorities and the US Marshals Service located Martinez, a Mexican citizen who was in the US illegally, leading to his capture and extradition on December 4. He is accused of the October 17, 2017, murder of Daniel Reyes, his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend.
Martinez, along with his friend Adan Zapot-Leyva, allegedly went to his ex-girlfriend's Anaheim apartment on the night of the murder. Reyes arrived later and was subsequently chased and stabbed 10 times. Zapot-Leyva admitted his role in the killing and was sentenced to 15 years to life for second-degree murder in 2023. Martinez had already fled to Mexico by then.
Martinez's car was found in San Diego, and a $2 million warrant was issued for his arrest. He was apprehended last month and brought back to the US, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport before being taken into custody by homicide detectives. Martinez pleaded not guilty to murder on Tuesday and is currently being held without bail, with authorities vowing that justice will be served regardless of the time passed.
