In a case described by the Houston County District Attorney as 'especially tragic,' a 29-year-old woman, Natasha Alexandra Reyes, was shot and killed in her Warner Robins, Georgia home on November 13, 2018. Her act of kindness towards a homeless man ultimately led to her untimely death.
On that rainy Tuesday, Reyes had offered shelter and food to Rodney Helms, a 43-year-old man with no fixed address.
At some point during his stay at her Maplewood Drive residence, Helms attempted to steal a. 40 caliber handgun and other personal belongings from Reyes' bedroom. When she confronted him about the theft, a fatal altercation ensued.
Helms shot Natasha Reyes multiple times with the very handgun he was trying to steal. He then fled the scene with the stolen items. A short time later, law enforcement officers apprehended him as he was walking towards a convenience store on Feagin Mill Road.
In May 2024, Rodney Helms pleaded guilty to malice murder. Following his plea, Superior Court Judge Katherine Lumsden sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The Houston County District Attorney's Office praised the Warner Robins Police Department for their thorough investigation, which brought Helms to justice. The case serves as a heartbreaking reminder of a compassionate gesture that ended in a brutal and senseless murder.
