Arizona fugitive detained in Mexico 12 years after arrest warrant issued

A woman was detained in Mexico on Sunday after more than 12 years as a fugitive in connection with the 1997 murder of her 4-year-old daughter, authorities said.

Anna Marlene Somoza, 60, was detained in Xochitepec, Mexico, by agents with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Somoza faces a first-degree murder charge in Arizona in the death of her daughter, Crystal Reyes. Authorities are coordinating efforts to return Somoza to the United States to face the charge.

“This disturbing case can finally move forward with justice for Crystal,” U.S. Marshal Van Bayless said in a press release. “Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office showed their unrelenting desire to get Somoza into court and prison for her atrocities to an innocent beautiful little girl.

“This case became our priority with our partners, both north and south of the border who we are grateful for, and now she will be coming back and held accountable.”

Timeline that led to Somoza being found

Reyes’ remains were discovered by a hunter on Nov. 30, 1998, in a remote area near Mobile, Arizona. The remains went unidentified for nearly 16 years until DNA analysis in August 2014 identified them as belonging to Reyes.

Investigators located Reyes’ biological father, Darren Stockwell, that year and obtained a DNA sample that helped confirm her identity. That breakthrough, along with other evidence, led a grand jury to indict Somoza and her boyfriend, Avelino Tamala, on first-degree murder charges in December 2014.

Tamala was arrested and was later found guilty of Reyes’ murder on Nov. 8, 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Somoza was believed to have fled to Mexico, prompting a yearslong international investigation, which was affected by her connection to the Mexican cartels. In October 2022, authorities obtained a provisional arrest warrant to support her extradition to the U.S.

The U.S. Marshals Service designated the investigation a major case in 2026, providing additional resources to the search. In September, investigators uncovered information indicating Somoza was evading authorities in Cernavaca, Mexico. She was ultimately detained in nearby Xochitepec on Sunday.

Authorities have not announced a timeline for Somoza’s return to Arizona.

“No one can hide from American justice forever,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said. “The United States Attorney’s Office stands in partnership with both our federal and critically our state partners to ensure defendants have their day in court. We look forward to now working alongside our Mexican partners to bring this fugitive back to Arizona.”

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