5 Key details about Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes's crimes
Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes were convicted of killing a California pastor, Abraham Gaspar-Reyes, in what police described as a calculated and premeditated act. The case gained widespread attention because of the connection between the two defendants—Reyes, a 40-ish woman, and Jeronimo, her 22-year-old boyfriend and roommate.
The killing happened in April of 2016. Reyes fabricated that Abraham, her former boyfriend, was threatening her. Believing her version, Jeronimo agreed to assist. With the help of Jeronimo, they convinced Abraham to visit an isolated orchard in Tulare County, where he would allegedly return some jewelry. There, Jeronimo killed Abraham with a gunshot to the head.
The latest episode of Snapped: Killer Couples season 18 episode 5, aired on April 6, 2025, is titled Angelita Reyes and Jesus Jeronimo. The episode reveals the killing of a well-respected California pastor, discovered dead in an almond orchard.
The case unfolds a tangled web of relationships and blackmail accusations, prompting detectives to search the pastor's love life for clues. The episode promises to explore a vengeful conspiracy that shocks everyone involved.
5 significant facts regarding the case of Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes
1) The victim was an associate pastor
Abraham Gaspar-Reyes was a 40-year-old church pastor and a worker at the Hanford, California, poultry plant. Abraham had been married to his wife, who stayed behind in Mexico, for more than a decade. Abraham was trying hard to bring her over to the United States.
As per Snapped: Killer Couples, Abraham spent weekdays working in Fresno County and weekends with his mother, Tomasa Reyes. He was an assistant pastor at his church and was characterized by community members and law enforcement as responsible and peaceful.
2) Angelita Reyes's possessiveness
Reyes briefly dated Abraham after they met at church. She soon became possessive, according to witnesses. She watched Abraham closely, even going so far as to prevent him from talking to other women, said Pastor Lupe Moreno. Abraham's mother also remembered a chilling remark made by Reyes.
"If I can't have your son, nobody can," Reyes said to his mother.
They broke up in January 2016, but Reyes still became involved in Abraham's life and eventually accused him of blackmail—an accusation that investigators said had no basis.
3) The murder and how it happened
On April 3, 2016, Reyes called Abraham to get some jewelry back. She had inveigled him to a secluded orchard outside Earlimart, where Jeronimo stood with a stolen gun. Jeronimo abducted Abraham into his truck and took him to a secluded area of the orchard.
There, he killed him by shooting him in the head. Two days later, Abraham's body was found by farm workers. His truck, phone, and Reyes's jewelry were also found there, substantiating the claim that Abraham was tricked into believing he was only retrieving his belongings.
4) Confessions of Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes and evidence
Police investigators interrogated Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes separately. Reyes first stated that Abraham was the jealous one, but she later recanted. However, Jeronimo finally confessed to the crime during interrogation. As per Snapped: Killer Couples, phone records, phone information, and physical evidence all linked the two to the crime.
The gun involved—a Desert Eagle .44 magnum—was found at the residence of Arturo Pompa, Jeronimo's friend, who had borrowed the weapon. Pompa was accused of murder but subsequently acquitted on the grounds of non-direct participation in the murder.
5) Conviction and sentencing of Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes
In July 2018, Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes were both found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in Tulare County. They received life in prison without parole. Investigators concluded that even though Jeronimo was the one who pulled the trigger, Reyes was responsible for coming up with the misleading tale and devising the entrapment.
"It comes down to the killer couple of Angelita and Jesus, because they're the ones that actually did the killing," described Detective Mario Martin.
For more insights into the case of Jesus Jeronimo and Angelita Reyes, watch Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen.
