Police Say Passenger Proves Fatal For Do-Good Guard

He was just trying to help a guy out.

On August 4, 2003, Manuel Reyes, a 58-year-old security guard, was at his post at the Yountville Veterans Home in California when a cab pulled up.  The driver needed help -- his passenger was a Hispanic man who spoke little English, and the driver spoke no Spanish. He needed a translator.  Manuel was happy to help.

In fact, Manuel decided to go one step further -- since they spoke a common language, he offered to give the man a ride himself.  But that charitable act turned out to be a grave error.

Later that night, Manuel's car was found crashed into a tree, and his lifeless body lay beside it.  He had been stabbed to death with a knife.  The murder weapon, along with a "Titleist" baseball cap, were found at the scene.

Clues Point Toward Hernandez

For police, the crime was baffling. Nothing was taken, so robbery wasn't a motive, and Manuel didn't know the man in the cab, so it couldn't have been a personal vendetta.  So how were they going to track the killer?

First police talked to the cab driver, who helped them come up with a composite of the man they were looking for -- and that sketch did the trick.  Cops say people in the neighborhood recognized the man they were looking for as Juan Hernandez-Mendoza.

At the same time, cops cased the neighborhood where the cab driver had picked up his fare, hoping to learn if anyone had seen Hernandez-Mendoza that day.  They soon found that according to a witness, Hernandez-Mendoza had been in a sporting goods store.  Cops say they pulled video surveillance and saw a man who appeared to be Hernandez-Mendoza enter and exit multiple times, but the man made only one purchase -- a knife.

This was all the evidence cops needed to get a murder warrant for Hernandez-Mendoza.  Now they're hoping for one last big break -- that someone will recognize Hernandez-Mendoza and lead police right to him.

Cops Find Murder Suspect In Portland, Ore. Prison

Cops in Portland, Ore. have located Juan Hernandez-Mendoza -- but this most-wanted fugitive was found in a prison cell, using a false name, and already serving a 14-year sentence.

Hernandez, who had been profiled on AMW.com, was wanted for the brutal August 2003 murder of a security guard.  Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for an unrelated child molestation case under the alias, according to police.

Using fingerprint technology, cops ran Mendoza's prints and discovered that he was also wanted for the murder of 58-year-old security guard Manuel Reyes.  Cops say Mendoza remains in prison and will soon face new charges for Reyes' murder.