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Deputies arrest suspect in death of Riverview man missing for two weeks

 
In a family photo, Octavio Reyes is seen with his six children, from left, Melanie Rose, Octavio Jr., Luis Angel, Isaias, Vanessa and Julian.
In a family photo, Octavio Reyes is seen with his six children, from left, Melanie Rose, Octavio Jr., Luis Angel, Isaias, Vanessa and Julian.
Published Sept. 15, 2014

RUSKIN — Deputies on Sunday arrested a suspect in the murder of Octavio Reyes, a Riverview man whose body was discovered over the weekend, two weeks after he disappeared.

Reyes, 36, was reported missing Aug. 31. Earlier that day, Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies found his 2000 Ford F-150 burned on Shell Point Road in Ruskin.

On Sunday afternoon, investigators identified his body, which was found Saturday in a shallow grave along a wooded area near the Little Manatee River and U.S. 41.

Hours later, detectives arrested 20-year-old Javier L. Bermudez Jr. on a first-degree murder charge in Reyes' death.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Reyes was possibly robbed, beaten and buried somewhere in Ruskin. Those tips led them to Bermudez, whom they interviewed Sunday.

According to detectives, Bermudez said he ambushed Reyes at a home in Ruskin and robbed, kidnapped and severely beat him. They said he then buried Reyes in a shallow grave before Reyes' truck was taken to an empty lot on Shell Point Road and set on fire.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the official cause of death as homicidal violence.

The timeline shared by detectives shows Reyes was attacked and killed sometime after 10 p.m. Aug. 30 and before 3:30 a.m. Aug. 31, when his truck was found on fire. He wasn't reported missing until nearly 18 hours later.

Bermudez was booked into the Orient Road Jail Sunday on charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery. He is being held without bail.

Reyes' niece, 29-year-old Juanita Reyes, said her family had no idea who Bermudez is. HCSO spokesman Larry McKinnon would not comment on how or if the two men knew each other.

"I'm glad there was an arrest so soon," Juanita Reyes said. "I'm thankful to everyone who helped us get our message out there and to the detectives on the case. Right now, we are just at a loss for words."

Octavio Reyes was last seen by a family member leaving a Walmart store at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 in Gibsonton, deputies said. He had told family members he was headed to Club 301 the night before, but never showed up, Juanita Reyes said.

His family, stricken with apprehension and fearing the worst, organized search parties and scoured the wooded area where his burned truck was found, the last sign of his whereabouts.

When investigators identified his body Sunday, Juanita Reyes said the family was in mourning, but also expressed relief. "Even though it's heartbreaking to hear that news, we're at peace now knowing he's at rest," she said. "But we still have lots of questions."

She said it was unlike her uncle to disappear for any stretch of time.

After he was reported missing, as detectives were investigating the case, she said her family could not sit by idly. Instead, they returned several times to comb through the site around the truck, searching for any indication of what might have happened.

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"Detectives told us that they hadn't seen a family actually go out there and really look for their loved ones the way we did," Juanita Reyes said. "They have a lot of missing cases, but this one, they were just blown away by how much we went out there and tried to look for him."

At one point, she said, a group of nearly 40 family members and friends meticulously swept over the wooded area. They trudged through weeds and between trees in search of Reyes, an outgoing man who they said always put family first.

A few of the men plodded through a canal, unimpeded by fear of infection or what crept in the water. As the sun went down, they left with cuts on their legs and feet and no further leads on what happened to Reyes.

Octavio Reyes' six children range in age from 4 to 18, Juanita Reyes said. He had planned to leave Aug. 31 to get settled in Fort Lauderdale before starting a new construction job there Sept. 2. Relatives said he and his wife were separated.

"He was never the one to criticize anyone," Juanita Reyes said. "He just worked to take care of his kids. He would make everybody laugh. He was just so caring and loving."

She said their family gathered for a barbecue every weekend. As long as Reyes wasn't out of town for work, he would pick up his six kids and they'd all spend time together as a family.

Times staff writer Alex Orlando contributed to this report. Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston@tampabay.com or (813) 661-2443. Follow @cljohnst.