LITTLE ROCK — On the third day of their manhunt, detectives found a double-homicide suspect hiding in a shed in northwest Little Rock.
A tip led police to 3116 Potter St. at around 2 p.m. Tuesday, where they found Froilan Reyes hiding on the property, said Sgt. Cassandra Davis, Little Rock Police Department spokesman.
Reyes, 51, of 9111 S. Heights Road, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault and two counts of first degree murder two days after Luis Martinez, 25, and Esteban Mendez-Martinez, 41, were found stabbed to death in a southwest Little Rock trailer park.
According to arrest affidavits, Reyes stopped in at the 8118 Stanton Road trailer of Luis Martinez and his girlfriend, Janie Rayes, at around 6 a.m. Sunday.
Reyes and Martinez, who had been friends for a year, left for a roofing job they had been working on for three days, affidavits said. They came back to Martinez’ trailer early in the afternoon to grill and drink.
As the afternoon went on, the two men were joined by Mendez-Martinez, according to police reports, and after Reyes “disrespected” Martinez, the two started arguing. Reyes was then forced to leave.
He came back shortly after 8 p.m., letting himself into the trailer, and pulled a butcher’s knife out from behind his back and “plunged the knife all the way through [Martinez],” the affidavit said.
According to detectives, Mendez-Martinez tried to defend Martinez, and Reyes turned the knife on him, stabbing him several times in the chest.
Reyes pointed the knife at Rayes before he fled the trailer.
By the time police and emergency crews arrived, both Martinez and Mendez-Martinez were dead.
Reyes has a criminal history in Ohio and, according to detectives, has spent several years in prison, Davis said. Further information about Reyes’ history was unavailable late Tuesday afternoon.
The Sunday night homicides were Little Rock’s 21st and 22nd of the year.
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 07/04/2012