Fugitive Accused of Stabbing Ex-Wife 41 Times in Front of Children Arrested After Tip to TV Show
An Oklahoma man on the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted fugitives list was arrested Wednesday in Mexico after someone watching a TV show about his case called authorities with a tip, PEOPLE confirms.
The arrest of Luis Octavio Frias, 34, ended a nearly six-year-long manhunt, the U.S. Marshals Service announced in a news release. Frias was wanted for murder after allegedly stabbing his ex-wife, Janett Reyna, 41 times in front of her young children in August 2013.
Two days before her death, Reyna, a former police officer with the Blackwell, Oklahoma, Police Department, filed a protection order against Frias.
A tip from an anonymous person watching an episode of In Pursuit with John Walsh that profiled Frias on Investigation Discovery led authorities to arrest Frias in Jalisco, Mexico.
“The arrest of Luis Octavio Frias allows a wounded community to start healing and stands as a testament to the crucial role the public plays in helping us locate and arrest dangerous fugitives,” U.S. Marshals Service Acting Deputy Director David Anderson said in a statement. “We especially thank John Walsh and his team for their commitment to law enforcement and for featuring Frias on his show.”
He added: “Frias’ arrest sends a strong, clear message to anyone attempting to flee the country to avoid prosecution that justice has no boundaries.”
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Following Frias’ arrest, the show’s host, John Walsh, released a statement thanking his viewers for helping to apprehend the suspect.
“Our fans and viewers did it again! The first fugitive on the very first episode of In Pursuit has been captured and will be brought to justice. A victim’s family doesn’t have to look over their shoulders anymore,” Walsh said. “Keep looking out for each other out there, and I promise, we will keep listening.”
On Thursday, when Frias stepped on U.S. soil, authorities used the same handcuffs Reyna had been issued as a police officer to take him into custody.
Frias is currently being held by U.S. Marshals in Dallas, awaiting extradition back to Oklahoma. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney. He has not entered a plea.
