Andres Reyes, age 28, was arrested this week in connection with the 2014 death of 22-year-old Bridget Charlebois and their full term unborn child. Charlebois, Reyes’ fiancée, was confined to a wheelchair after sustaining injuries during her childhood and depended on caretakers to assist her.
Reyes began a romantic relationship with Charlebois and moved into an apartment with her. He had her caretakers fired and took on the role of the victim’s care provider. During that time, witnesses say he left her on at least one occasion for 12 hours with no food, water or care. On other occasions he admitted to firing pellets from an airsoft gun at her, knowing she was unable to protect herself from the assault.
The evening before her death in February of 2014, Charlebois was showing signs of medical distress, however Reyes did not seek medical attention. The next morning the victim was found deceased inside the home. Reyes originally told investigators he did not know what to do when Charlebois became ill, even though Reyes had received some caretaker training, which included how to handle emergency situations.
Due to the complexity of the case and the in depth medical examinations needed to connect the victim’s death to the lack of care she received from Reyes, the case was given to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit. Detectives, in partnership with the Glendale Police Department, worked on the case from April of 2016 until the arrest was made on May 17, 2017.
“This arrest stems from the dedication of our cold case investigation team in cooperation with our law enforcement partners. Thanks to their hard work we are now able to take the next step in securing justice for the tragic loss of two lives,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “This case further illustrates our ongoing commitment to sharing resources with law enforcement agencies throughout Maricopa County.”
Reyes’ next court appearance is set for May 25, 2017. The case is currently under review by prosecutors for possible charges.