Columbus fugitive facing murder charge arrested near Cincinnati
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COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A fugitive on the run, who was arrested on murder charges in Columbus over two years ago, was arrested Friday morning in the Cincinnati area.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, deputies arrested Mercedes Reyes, who is accused in a South Linden murder in 2022 and who recently posted an adjusted bond in March. A deputy told NBC4 that Reyes, 27, failed to appear in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas this summer after being indicted for the murder of Shomari Little.
Little, 26, was shot and killed in the 1300 block of East 13th Avenue on Sept. 10, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records. The following day, Reyes, who reportedly fled the scene after the shooting, was named a suspect and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
A Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Reyes a $3 million bond, which was then adjusted to $1 million in common pleas court in Oct. 2022. Her bond was adjusted once again in Feb. 2024 to $500,000, which Reyes posted and twice in the spring of 2024 her release was upheld after meeting the terms of her bond, which included house arrest and wearing an angle monitor.
But Reyes’ bond was forfeited when she failed to appear in court in June, around the time investigators believe she fled central Ohio.
An investigation by U.S. Marshal deputies, along with the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, located Reyes in Norwood, Ohio and she was arrested near the 5100 block of Rhode Island Ave. It is unknown when she will be extradited to Columbus to resume her case, which includes two counts of murder.