A previously deported Houston man has admitted to a violent crime spree that started in a grocery store and ended inside a family’s home. On Friday, 35-year-old Jose Luis Reyes-Martinez pleaded guilty to robbery, carjacking, brandishing a firearm and illegal reentry for a series of attacks on Sept. 9, 2023, that left supermarket workers threatened at gunpoint and a nearby family traumatized. Federal authorities say DNA evidence tied him to a sexual assault during the home invasion.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Reyes-Martinez first forced his way into a Fiesta Supermarket in the 11000 block of Airline Drive. Prosecutors say he pulled a handgun on two employees, ordered one into a frozen meat locker, and demanded cash before taking off on a bicycle. Investigators say he then moved to a nearby residence, where he broke in, held a family hostage for hours, tied up one family member, sexually assaulted a woman while again brandishing the firearm, and stole the family’s car and valuables before leaving. The FBI and Houston Police Department handled the investigation, and forensic testing on a condom recovered at the scene allegedly matched Reyes-Martinez’s DNA.
As reported by Click2Houston, investigators tracked surveillance footage and GPS data from the stolen vehicle, leading to Reyes-Martinez’s arrest in October 2023. The Houston Chronicle later scrutinized how a separate 2022 sexual assault report was handled by Houston police, reporting that DNA from the 2023 case eventually linked back to that earlier investigation. Neighbors and advocates told local outlets the guilty plea offers some measure of closure for survivors, even as questions linger over how the earlier case was managed.
Court Date and Potential Penalty
Reyes-Martinez entered his guilty plea on Friday and is set to be sentenced Sept. 24, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery, up to 15 years for carjacking, up to two years for illegal reentry, and a mandatory consecutive term of at least seven years and up to life for brandishing a firearm, along with possible fines. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Context and Next Steps
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also highlighted the plea on X, where officials summarized the charges and potential sentence. Local reporting has shown federal and city investigators working side by side on the case, while community groups renewed calls for more robust follow-up on suspended sexual assault cases after the DNA match tied the 2023 attack to the 2022 report. During the investigation, authorities urged anyone with information to contact the FBI or Houston police, and prosecutors note that victim-witness resources remain available to those involved in federal cases.
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