Authorities have announced the arrest of a man on murder charges, two decades after he allegedly took the life of a 15-year-old girl in Phoenix, Arizona.
Authorities identified Sergio Reyes, who is now 37 years old, as a suspect in 2014, approximately ten years after the murder occurred. However, during that time, Reyes was residing in Mexico, according to law enforcement officials. Investigators collaborated with the U.S. Marshals Service in subsequent years to track down and bring Reyes back for extradition.
On Wednesday, he was taken into custody and charged in connection with the death of Elena Lasswell, which occurred on July 10, 2004. He is currently being held at Maricopa County Jail.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the tragic murder of Elena Lasswell, who was only 15 years old at the time. Det. Dominick Roestenberg expressed the significance of the day for both the Phoenix Police Department and Elena’s family in a video shared on the department’s Facebook page.
“After two decades, justice has finally arrived for them. After some time and with determination, effort, and commitment, we successfully brought Sergio Reyes back to Phoenix to face charges.
Lasswell passed away in her residence, despite the valiant efforts of first responders to preserve her life, according to a police statement. Following her death, investigators struggled to uncover any concrete leads regarding Lasswell’s murder as reported by CBS News.
In 2012, cold case detectives utilized DNA collection techniques to identify a profile that matched Reyes. The following year, he was officially confirmed as the primary suspect in Lasswell’s death. In 2014, Reyes was indicted by a Maricopa County Grand Jury while he was residing in Mexico.
The jail records indicate that a bond of $1.5 million has been set. Reyes is scheduled to go to court on July 17 to face charges including murder, sexual assault, burglary, and kidnapping.