More than 20 years after the tragic death of 18-year-old Reynaldo Burts, authorities in California have arrested a suspect in the cold case.
James Landi, 43, from San Mateo, was taken into custody on December 5 in connection with Burts’ 2004 murder, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Burts’ body was discovered on March 21, 2004, near Southfork Trail and Highway 74 in Idyllwild by a hiker who called authorities. Deputies found the teenager showing signs of “obvious trauma.” At the time, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation.
Landi had been identified as a person of interest in the past, but investigators lacked sufficient evidence to make an arrest, and the case eventually went cold.
In August 2025, as part of a review of stalled cold cases, detectives uncovered new leads that prompted them to reopen the investigation. Working with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Gang Impact Team, authorities located Landi in San Mateo and arrested him without incident.
Landi has been charged with murder and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center. Officials stated that the investigation is ongoing, and no further details about the evidence leading to the arrest have been released.
Detectives continue to appeal for anyone with information about the case to come forward.
