Suspect arrested 20 years to the day after murder of 15-year-old Arizona girl

A man has been arrested on murder charges exactly 20 years after he allegedly killed a 15-year-old girl in Phoenix, Arizona, authorities said.

Officers identified Sergio Reyes, now 37, as a suspect in 2014, a decade after the killing, but he was living in Mexico at the time, police said. Investigators worked with the U.S. Marshals Service over the next several years to locate and extradite Reyes. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail Wednesday on charges stemming from the July 10, 2004, death of Elena Lasswell.

“It’s been 20 years to the day since 15-year-old Elena Lasswell was murdered in her home. So this is a big day not only for the Phoenix Police Department, but especially for Elena’s family,” Detective Dominick Roestenberg said in a video posted to the department’s Facebook page. “They’ve been waiting 20 years for justice. So it’s taken a while, but through perseverance, hard work and dedication, we were able to bring Sergio Reyes back to Phoenix to face charges.”

Lasswell died at her home, despite life-saving efforts by first responders, police said in a news release. Immediately after her death, investigators were unable to find “any direct information about who killed Lasswell.”

In 2012, cold case investigators used DNA collection techniques to identify a profile matching Reyes, and the following year he was confirmed as the prime suspect in Lasswell’s death. In 2014, a Maricopa County grand jury indicted Reyes while he was living in Mexico.

Jail records show bail was set at $1.5 million. Reyes is scheduled to appear in court July 17 on charges of first-degree murder during the commission of a felony, sexual assault, first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree burglary and kidnapping.