After more than 12 years as a fugitive in Mexico, Anna Marlene Somoza, 60, has been arrested by U.S. Marshals and faces first-degree murder charges for the horrific 1997 death of her 3-year-old daughter, Crystal Reyes. Authorities allege Somoza subjected Reyes to severe abuse, torture, and starvation, confining her in a dog kennel and ultimately suffocating her with a towel before leaving her to die in a sealed cardboard box. The investigation, which began in 1998 after a hunter discovered bone fragments, finally identified Reyes’ remains through DNA analysis in 2014, leading to charges against Somoza and her then-boyfriend, Avelino Tamala, who was convicted in 2016. Somoza, who had a history with drug trafficking networks and served as a confidential informant, was deported in 2008 after a previous prison sentence, but managed to evade capture for years in Mexico, reportedly with the assistance of cartels. The U.S. Marshals Service, designating her case a major priority, tracked her to Cuernavaca before she was apprehended in Xochitepec, Mexico, and is now awaiting extradition to the United States, a process that could be lengthy due to potential legal challenges.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
