SANTA MONICA, California — Seven months after a man was shot dead late at night near Fourth Street and Olympic Drive, Santa Monica police say the man they accuse of pulling the trigger has been found, arrested in Mexico, extradited to the United States and charged with murder. Manuel Reyes, 26, of Adelanto, was arraigned this week and remains in custody on bail set at $3 million, the Santa Monica Police Department announced on Wednesday, October 28.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department
The department said Reyes has been charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. The charges are allegations: Reyes has not been convicted, and the case will now move through the Los Angeles County courts, where prosecutors must prove the charges and Reyes is entitled to a defence.
What happened on the night of March 28
According to police, officers responded at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2026, to a report of a shooting near the intersection of 4th Street and Olympic Drive in Santa Monica. Arriving officers located an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department
Detectives determined that an altercation between occupants of two vehicles preceded the shooting, police said. During the confrontation, a suspect discharged a firearm, striking the victim, before fleeing the area. The Santa Monica Daily Press, reporting the department's account, described the confrontation as appearing to be a road-rage incident.
Source: Santa Monica Daily Press
The location underlines why the case drew attention from the start: the intersection sits about a block from Santa Monica City Hall and adjacent to the Santa Monica Police Department headquarters itself, near the onramp to Interstate 10. The Santa Monica Daily Press reported the intersection was closed from about 11:15 p.m. that night until about 4:30 a.m. on Sunday while officers worked the scene.
Source: Santa Monica Daily Press
A seven-month investigation that crossed a border
Police described what followed as an extensive investigation. Detectives identified Reyes as the suspect, the department said, but he was no longer in California. On October 20, 2026, Reyes was arrested in Nayarit, Mexico, through a coordinated effort involving the Santa Monica Police Department, the United States Marshals Service's Mexico Foreign Field Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department
Reyes was subsequently extradited to the United States and booked into the Santa Monica Police Department Jail on October 22, 2026, police said. On October 26, 2026, he was arraigned at the Airport Courthouse on one count of murder, in violation of California Penal Code section 187(a), and one count of attempted murder, in violation of California Penal Code sections 664/187. Police have not, in Wednesday's announcement, released the deceased victim's name or explained the circumstances behind the attempted-murder count, and no further detail on either point should be assumed until the department or the court record provides it.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department
California Penal Code section 187(a) is the state's murder statute — the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Sections 664/187 cover an attempted murder: an attempt, with the required intent, that did not result in a death. A charge is the start of a court case, not a finding of guilt.
What the department said — and what happens next
"The Santa Monica Police Department thanks our law enforcement partners for their assistance in locating and apprehending Reyes," the department said in its statement. The cross-border arrest is the kind of outcome departments point to when a suspect leaves the country: it required a U.S. Marshals field office based in Mexico and coordination with Customs and Border Protection to bring Reyes back to face the charges in California.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department
For drivers who use the Fourth Street and Olympic Drive area — a busy approach to the Interstate 10 onramp — the case is also a reminder of how quickly a confrontation between two vehicles can turn fatal, and how long the consequences can run: a March shooting, an October arrest in another country, and a court case that is only now beginning. Reyes remains in custody on the $3 million bail while the case proceeds, and his next court steps will be set by the Airport Courthouse.
The investigation is not closed to new information. Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Lawrence Kayondo with the Santa Monica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at (310) 458-8931, or the Watch Commander, available 24 hours a day, at (310) 458-8427, the department said.
Source: Santa Monica Police Department