Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

After decade-long search and numerous crimes committed, fugitive killed

Click to enlarge photo

This is a previous booking photo of Javier Reyes that Metro Police had on file.

Lawmen had been trying to hunt down Javier Reyes for a decade — not for any one particularly heinous crime but for committing stickups, beatings and robberies.

On Tuesday, an FBI agent and Reyes came face to face, triggering a shootout that rattled a suburban Las Vegas neighborhood. Both men were hit by gunfire, but the FBI agent — wearing a protective vest — survived. Reyes, 32, died later at a hospital.

The gunfight was the culmination of a manhunt that involved law enforcement officers from the FBI, Metro Police and the Henderson Police Department.

Reyes' death was the final chapter in a slew of violent crimes he had been accused of committing, according to various reports from Metro and complaints released by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.

The earliest arrest reports for Reyes came in 2002, when he was booked on several counts, including burglary.

In 2005, Reyes was convicted of domestic battery in Henderson, and in 2009, Reyes was accused of committing the same crime and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

But police couldn’t find and arrest him, and more accusations of violent criminal acts followed Reyes.

In December 2012, police allege Reyes used a knife to rob a woman, and warrants on three counts — including robbery with a deadly weapon — were issued for his arrest.

Last month, Metro said Reyes went to the home of his ex-girlfriend and began strangling her when they got into an argument.

More allegations from police came Feb. 7, when Reyes was accused of grand larceny and kidnapping.

He was booked in absentia on a variety of counts, Metro said, including battery strangulation, robbery with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic battery.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy