Houston crime: Accused killer returned to U.S From Mexico for 1995 shooting
Houston - A fugitive has been extradited from Mexico and charged with murder in connection with the 1995 death of a woman in Houston.
Jose Luis Rios, 47, was one of two men who fled the country after a fatal shooting at River Terrace Park in Channelview around 12:15 a.m. on December 23, 1995.
Jose Luis Rios, 47, fled the country with another man following a fatal shooting at River Terrace Park in Channelview at 12:15 a.m. on December 23, 1995.
Authorities say Rios and his friend Jorge Mendez, driving a red truck, approached a group of four people. Kristie Martin, a 19-year-old former Galena Park High School cheerleader, was fatally shot, and another woman was injured. There were two men with them. Earlier that night, the four had dined together. Martin told her group they should leave after the two men called out to them. As Mendez drove up with Rios in the passenger seat, Martin and another man stood outside the car. The two men fired five shots as Martin and the man got back into the car, fatally striking Martin in the back.
Following the shooting, Rios and Mendez fled to Mexico. Harris County Sheriff’s Office detectives identified and charged both men, who were known local gang members. Witnesses came forward, and police interviewed Rios' girlfriend, who witnessed the shooting.
They were getting back in the car when Rios fired at least five shots, killing Martin with a shot to the back. He also wounded the other woman.
Over the years, the case received attention on television shows like America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries. In 2001, Mendez was arrested in Mexico and sentenced to 31 years in prison after trial.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 NEWS APP
Rios, arrested in Mexico in August, returned to Houston recently and now faces a life sentence if convicted of murder.
SUGGESTED: Kaysone Blossom arrested in deadly stabbing of Houston girl, 17, near the Galleria
District Attorney Kim Ogg expressed her gratitude for the efforts of everyone involved in arresting and extraditing Rios.
"The Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI worked hand-in-hand to find, detain, and extradite this accused killer," Ogg said. "And now we can continue our work in the courts to get justice for the victim and her family."
SUGGESTED: Woman found dead in apartment after fire in SE Houston
Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston Field Office emphasized the FBI's capability.
"The FBI has a very long memory, and the FBI has a very long reach," said Martinez. "Fugitive Jose Luis Rios was arrested in Mexico in August thanks to the FBI’s global reach and international partnerships."
Kim Bryant, head of the DA’s Fugitive Apprehension Section, credited the FBI Houston’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the FBI’s Mexico City Legal Attaché Office for their efforts in bringing Rios back to the U.S.