A man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend to death was extradited to the U.S. from Mexico after spending eight years on the run.
Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, of Anaheim, was wanted on a $2 million arrest warrant after he was charged with murdering Daniel Reyes, 32, in 2017, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Martinez and his ex-girlfriend had broken up several months earlier, but continued to co-parent their two children together.
On Oct. 17, 2017, Martinez and his friend Adan Zapot-Leyva, 28, of Anaheim, went to the woman’s apartment to babysit his two children while their mother went to work. The men left the apartment around 8:30 p.m. when the woman returned home from work.
Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, of Anaheim, is seen in a booking photo from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The woman’s new boyfriend, Reyes, arrived at her apartment about 30 minutes later. Police were called to the intersection of Santa Ana Street and Helena Street after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes before one of them fatally stabbed him.
The suspects fled before police arrived. Officers found Reyes suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two days later, Zapot-Leyva was located and arrested. In 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree murder.
Martinez reportedly fled to Mexico after the deadly stabbing and lived as a fugitive for years until he was located by Mexican authorities in 2024, prosecutors said.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Martinez was extradited to the United States. Anaheim police homicide detectives took custody of Martinez from U.S. Marshals Service deputies at Los Angeles International Airport.
Authorities said that although Martinez is a citizen of Mexico who was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the murder, he must remain in U.S. custody while his case is being litigated under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines.
On Jan. 6, 2026, Rodriguez-Martinez pleaded not guilty in Orange County Superior Court.
He is currently being held on no bail.
“This arrest does not undo the pain the victim’s family has endured, but it reinforces our commitment and promise to our community: we will never stop working until justice is served,” said Anaheim Police Chief Manny Cid.
“The pursuit of justice will never be derailed by time or distance,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The long arm of Orange County law enforcement reaches to every corner of the earth to ensure the full weight of the law is felt by those who commit the most heinous acts of violence against other human beings. We are grateful for the incredible work of our investigators and prosecutors and of our partners, both domestic and international, for their assistance in tracking down a wanted murderer and bringing him back to Orange County to face the consequences of his actions.”
Multiple agencies were involved in the investigation and arrest, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Anaheim Police Department and Mexican authorities.
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