Highlights
- Anna Marlene Somoza, 60, was detained Sunday in Xochitepec, Mexico, ending a 12-year flight from Arizona murder charges.
- Somoza is charged with first-degree murder in the 1997 death of her daughter Crystal Reyes, whose remains were identified by DNA in 2014.
- Her co-defendant, narcotics detective Avelino Guzman Tamala, was convicted by a jury in 2016 and is serving a prison sentence.
- Extradition to Arizona is expected to take six to 18 months, according to an ASU attorney who reviewed the case.
Anna Marlene Somoza, 60, was detained Sunday in Xochitepec, Mexico by Mexican law enforcement, ending more than a decade as a fugitive wanted in Arizona on a first-degree murder charge, according to the United States Marshals Service. Somoza is accused in the 1997 death of her daughter, Crystal Reyes, and is awaiting extradition to Arizona.
The case dates to 1998, when human bone fragments were found near Mobile, Arizona. Forensic DNA analysis in 2014 identified those remains as Reyes. Prosecutors allege Somoza and her then-boyfriend, Avelino Guzman Tamala, abused the girl over several years. Authorities allege the child was confined in a small dog kennel, bound and gagged for extended periods, deprived of food, suffocated in 1997, and left inside a sealed box.
Tamala's role in the case carries its own layer of institutional failure. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Tamala was a narcotics detective who had what the agency described as an improper romantic relationship with Somoza while she was acting as a confidential informant for an Arizona law enforcement agency. A jury convicted Tamala of first-degree murder in 2016, and he was sentenced to prison.
The Fox News report on Somoza's capture states she was deported to Mexico in 2008 after serving eight years in federal prison on drug and weapon-related charges, and that she used cartel connections to evade capture during her years as a fugitive. An arrest warrant for extradition was obtained in October 2022, with the case designated a major investigation in 2026, according to that reporting.
What happens next in the extradition process?
Extradition from Mexico is a treaty process, not a criminal proceeding. Attorney Juan Rocha, who teaches at Arizona State University, said Mexico reviews identity, dual criminality, and treaty authority before surrendering a fugitive. Rocha said Mexico often seeks assurance the death penalty will not be pursued, and prosecutors have not publicly stated whether they will seek it against Somoza. Based on cases Rocha has reviewed, the process typically takes six to 18 months.
Prosecutors have not publicly said whether they will seek the death penalty. The extradition timeline, combined with the case's 29-year history, means a trial in Arizona remains at minimum a year away.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 20/10/2026 02:01
- foxnews.com retrieved 20/10/2026 02:01
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 20/10/2026 02:01. Every claim traces to a source.
