Mother Arrested for 1997 Murder of Daughter Following Years as Fugitive

Nearly three decades after the tragic death of her three-year-old daughter, U.S. law enforcement arrested Anna Marlene Somoza in Mexico on first-degree murder charges. The U.S. Marshals Service captured Somoza, 60, who had spent over 12 years evading arrest in Mexico through her connections with cartels.

Extradition to the U.S.

Somoza will be extradited to the United States to face allegations of murdering her daughter, Crystal Reyes, as reported by the U.S. Marshals Service. Prior to her death, Reyes suffered severe abuse, torture, and starvation. Authorities detailed that she was frequently confined to a kennel, bound, gagged, and abandoned for extended periods. On January 30, 1997, Reyes was suffocated and left to die inside a sealed cardboard box.

The Investigation

The discovery of human bone fragments in Arizona in 1998 marked the beginning of the investigation. In August 2014, forensic DNA analysis identified these remains as those of Reyes. Detectives confirmed her identity through DNA from her biological father, leading to charges against Somoza and Avelino Tamala, her boyfriend at the time, in December 2014.

Tamala was subsequently found guilty in 2016 and received a life sentence.

Criminal Past and Evasion

Somoza’s criminal history dates back to her involvement in transnational drug trafficking along the Arizona border during the 1980s and 1990s. Arrested in 1993 for drug offenses, Somoza became a confidential informant, which introduced her to Tamala, a narcotics detective. They began a romantic relationship, and she moved to Arizona with her daughter, Reyes.

Authorities linked Somoza to the crime in 2014, but she successfully evaded capture until her recent arrest. Her actions included strategic measures to avoid detection by law enforcement, as stated by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Extradition Process

In October 2022, an arrest warrant for Somoza’s extradition was obtained. However, the process of locating and arresting her took until October 2023, when she was apprehended in Xochitepec, Mexico.

Russell Lorfing, a former federal prosecutor, explained the steps needed to extradite Somoza to the U.S. This process typically lasts 14 days domestically but can extend to months or years if contested. The extradition involves collaborations with Mexican authorities, with U.S. marshals traveling to Mexico or conducting a border handover.

Lorfing noted that Somoza could challenge the extradition through an amparo, a legal appeal in Mexico, potentially prolonging the process significantly.