DECATUR, Mich. — An arrest was finally made in a 1995 cold case out of Van Buren County's Decatur Township.
30-year-old Jose Cruz Armijo-Arreguin's body was found near 36th Street and 92nd Avenue back in April 1995, according to a 1995 article in the Herald-Palladium.
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office (VBCSO) says the suspect fled the state shortly after allegedly committing the crime.
We’re told the suspect and victim knew each other.
Deputies identified the suspect as Juan Luis Solis-Reyna, who was 25 years old at the time.
The vehicle Solis-Reyna was believed to have been driving was found in Missouri, but the suspect eluded authorities for years, despite the number of tips received, the sheriff’s office explained.
VBCSO says the Federal Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist in the case in February of 2019.
In May of 2022, Solis-Reyna was arrested in Mexico, where he lived with his wife and children, according to deputies.
"Through today's technology, the FBI was able to locate and track him to Mexico. The FBI continued to work with our office and prosecutor's office to get him in custody," explained Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott.
Sheriff Abbott says Solis-Reyna was extradited back to the United States on Friday, September 30. Now, he faces several charges in connection with Armijo-Arreguin's death.
Investigators believe Solis-Reyna has spent most, if not all, of the last 27 years hiding out in Mexico.
He was charged officially with open murder, felony firearm and flight to avoid prosecution on Wednesday afternoon.
"It's taken countless hours of police work in connection with the FBI to then go down to Mexico and retrieve him," added Sheriff Abbott.
Armijo-Arreguin was the father of three girls and one boy.
"We can't really say we have justice, but it's a step, you know, because it's not going to bring him back," Lizbette Armijo, one of his daughters, told FOX 17 at Wednesday's arraignment. "He was a very good father, very loving."
A judge denied Solis-Reyna bond on Wednesday. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
