CHANNELVIEW, Texas — A man charged with murder in the 1995 shooting death of a woman in Channelview has been brought back to Texas.
According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, 47-year-old Jose Luis Rios was one of two men who left the country after the shooting that left 19-year-old Kristie Martin dead and another woman wounded.
According to investigators, just after midnight on Dec. 23, 1995, Rios and his friend, Jorge Mendez, drove through River Terrace Park along Market Street in east Harris County. They approached Martin, a former Galena Park high school cheerleader, who was in a secluded part of the park with another woman and two men.
Investigators said Rios and Mendez called for the group to approach them. That’s when Martin reportedly told the people she was with not to do it. They were getting back into their car when Rios reportedly opened fire, killing Martin and wounding the other woman.
Mendez and Rios left the scene and investigators said they eventually fled to Mexico.
Through their investigation, detectives with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office identified Rios and Mendez as the suspects and charges were filed. They said Rios told friends about the shooting. Investigators also spoke to Rios’ girlfriend, who they said was a witness to Martin’s death.
In 2001, Mendez was arrested in Mexico. He was tried there and sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Rios was arrested in Mexico in August and arrived back in Houston on Wednesday night. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
“The FBI has a very long memory, and the FBI has a very long reach,” Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez, of the FBI Houston Field Office, said.
As of Thursday night, a court date for Rios had not yet been set.