April 06, 2018 - 5:50 AM
MIAMI - Federal authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a fugitive airline mechanic connected to a 1996 passenger plane crash in the Florida Everglades.
The FBI announced the new reward Thursday for information about Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who worked for SabreTech, the maintenance contractor for ValuJet Airlines.
Valenzuela-Reyes was facing federal criminal charges in 1999 after investigators determined he had mishandled oxygen generators that were placed in the DC-9's cargo hold. The generators were missing required safety caps and ignited in the cargo area. The crash killed all 110 passengers and crew members.
Valenzuela-Reyes has family connections to Atlanta and Santiago, Chile. Authorities say he might be living in one of those places under a false identity.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018