PHOENIX — EDITOR'S NOTE: This article contains graphic details of child abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.
A woman accused of killing her young child in 1997 was captured in Mexico after more than a decade on the run, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Sunday.
U.S. Marshals officials said 60-year-old Anna Marlene Somoza was taken into custody Sunday in Xochitepec, Mexico.
According to investigators, human remains found in the Sonoran Valley desert in 1998 were identified in August 2014 as those of 4-year-old Crystal Reyes.
Officials say Reyes was subjected to severe physical abuse throughout her life and, on January 30, 1997, died after being bound, suffocated and confined in a sealed box.
Marshals officials stated: "In 1999, Anna Somoza and Avelino Tamala were arrested on drug and weapon offenses. Following their arrest, DNA was collected and later forensic analysis of the bone fragments found in the Arizona desert could not eliminate Somoza as the maternal source. However, investigators lacked a DNA profile from Crystal’s biological father. As a result, the case went cold while Somoza served an eight-year federal prison sentence. Somoza was released from prison in 2008 and deported to Mexico."
In December 2014, Somoza and Tamala were indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges in connection with the child's death.
Tamala, who is not the child's biological father, was located and arrested, but authorities were unable to find Somoza in Mexico.
Tamala was convicted of killing Crystal in November 2016 and was sentenced to life in prison. He served eight years before being deported to Mexico.
In early September 2026, authorities focused on Cernavaca, Mexico, after obtaining information that Somoza was evading law enforcement there.
“This disturbing case can finally move forward with justice for Crystal. 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,” said U.S. Marshal Van Bayless for the District of Arizona.
The Phoenix Police Department said in a statement, “The Phoenix Police Department’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims is central to its mission. We are grateful to the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners for their assistance in apprehending this wanted suspect. With the suspect in custody, the case of Crystal Reyes can move forward. We thank everyone whose efforts made this apprehension possible.”
Authorities are working to return Somoza to Arizona to face the pending charges.
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