This past week in San Antonio, TX news media covered the arrest of Ruben Reyes for his part in sanctioning the murder of an off-duty Balconies Heights officer. The males who actually pulled the trigger on the officer had already been arrested. The officer was said to have ties to the Mexican Mafia, although that had not been confirmed. Reyes was arrested by FBI, Texas DPS and San Antonio investigators who were working a task force targeting organized crime in South Texas. What was not reported was that Reyes had admitted to killing at least 16 other people over a several year period. Reyes was interviewed by SAPD homicide detectives over several days and gave specific details on numerous unsolved murder cases. The details Reyes revealed left no doubt he was present at the murders and had actually committed the killings himself. Reyes also led investigators to three bodies buried in a rural area. The three bodies were identified and found to be members of the Mexican Mafia who were reported missing by their families.
What prompted this rare cooperation from a hardened killer? Apparently the Mexican Mafia local leadership began to believe Reyes was a liability because of what he knew and could reveal. They attempted to have him killed but the plan wasn't successful. Reyes was shot but survived the incident. When he realized that his beloved brothers had turned on him, Reyes struck back. Knowing he was a "dead man walking" Reyes walked into SAPD Headquarters and began to talk. That lasted for over a week and when it was done, numerous cases were cleared.
What is interesting about Reyes is his feelings for the Mexican Mafia. He was truly a loyal soldier. Talking gave him no pleasure and the admiration he had for the gang was apparent . Although he felt betrayed, he understood why they turned on him and said he had done the same thing to other gang members in the past.
Reyes may not fit the profile of a true serial killer because his actions were almost always related to the criminal enterprise of the Mafia, but his demeanor and pride say something else. When describing the details of each murder you could tell he was proud of his work. He was also proud of the fact that through several years and a multitude of investigations, he remained relatively unknown to the police.
He was one of the most interesting murderers I have ever talked with. The prosecution of these murder cases is planned to be handled by US Attorneys as part of an ongoing RICO case. It is interesting to consider what might happen if he had faced state charges in a District Court. At least one of the crimes he confessed to is a capital case with two victims. If convicted on that case the numerous other murders could be used during a punishment phase.
The interesting part; Reyes could care less!
Bookmarks