Homicide arrest made 15 years later

FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS (KXAN) - A man accused in a killing was taken into custody 15 years after a Travis County Judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police apprehended Luis Reyes, 42, after he was stopped for a traffic violation in Friendswood on Thursday.

During the stop Reyes was hesitant in providing his name, even misspelling the name several times. Reyes has changed identities multiple times and is also commonly went under the name Michael Morales.

Officers say he was driving without a license and failed a field sobriety test. Reyes was jailed for a DWI after registering a .142 on a breath test.

After he was booked in and fingerprinted, Reyes fingerprints were reviewed by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and then forwarded on to other state agencies while Friendswood officers reviewed his records in an attempt to determine his real identity.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office contacted Friendswood Police Sunday morning after learning of his arrest. They informed them that Reyes is wanted in connection to a homicide.

Officials say that a capital murder arrest warrant was issued for Reyes by the 167th District Court in Travis County in 1993.

The body of Simon Udiera was found in Bartholomew Park in August of 1995. According to the arrest warrant, Reyes choked Udiera to death in the back of a car before leaving the body in the park. The driver of the car tried to intervene, but Reyes threatened to kill him.

Reyes is being held at the Galveston County jail on a $100,000 bond awaiting transfer to Travis County.

Friendswood Police advise that his criminal history shows arrests for arson in 1993 and theft in 1994. Records also indicated that he was detained by INS at the Texas-Mexico border in 1998 for illegal entry.

Information about the homicide is not available at the moment. Updates will be made as details emerge.