Suspect In Deadly Santa Monica Shooting Arrested In Mexico 7 Months Later

SANTA MONICA, CA — A man accused of fatally shooting a 22-year-old during a confrontation between the occupants of two vehicles in Santa Monica was arrested in Mexico nearly seven months later and returned to California to face murder and attempted murder charges, authorities announced Wednesday.

Manuel Reyes, 26, of Adelanto, was arrested Oct. 20 in the Mexican state of Nayarit following an investigation into the March 28 shooting near Fourth Street and Olympic Drive, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

The arrest involved Santa Monica detectives, the U.S. Marshals Service's Mexico Foreign Field Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, police said.

Reyes was subsequently returned to the United States and booked into the Santa Monica Police Department Jail on Oct. 22. He was arraigned Monday, Oct. 26, at the Airport Courthouse on one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. Police said his bail was set at $3 million.

Deadly Shooting Near City Hall

The shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. March 28 near Fourth Street and Olympic Drive, a short distance from Santa Monica Police Department headquarters, City Hall and the Santa Monica Freeway.

Officers responding to reports of a shooting found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died. The victim was identified as Yair Segundo Cruz, 22, by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, according to reporting published in April by Canyon News.

Investigators determined that an altercation between the occupants of two vehicles preceded the shooting. During the confrontation, a suspect fired a gun, striking Cruz before fleeing the area, according to police. Authorities have not publicly established a motive or provided further details about what sparked the confrontation.

Suspect Arrested In Mexico

Following an investigation that stretched from March into October, Santa Monica detectives identified Reyes as the suspect. He was taken into custody Oct. 20 in Nayarit, on Mexico's Pacific coast, through a coordinated operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies.

The Santa Monica Police Department said Reyes was subsequently extradited to the United States and booked into its jail two days later. Police have not disclosed when Reyes traveled to Mexico or whether he had been living there since the shooting. The department also has not explained the circumstances underlying the attempted murder charge or identified the alleged victim of that count.

Reyes was arraigned on a murder charge under California Penal Code Section 187(a) and an attempted murder charge under Sections 664 and 187. The Santa Monica Police Department thanked its law enforcement partners for their assistance in locating and apprehending Reyes.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Lawrence Kayondo of the department's Criminal Investigations Division at 310-458-8931, or the Watch Commander, available 24 hours a day, at 310-458-8427.