Daniel Munoz Arrested in Fallon on Open Murder Charges

Update from the The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office: The woman who was found dead near Del Rio Drive in Fallon on 11/21/2024.  Xiaoxia Zhang, 40, of Reno, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause and manner of death are pending further investigation.  The Reno Police Department and Churchill County Sheriff’s Office are handling the law enforcement investigation for this case.

On November 20, 2025, the Reno Police Department initiated a joint investigation with the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office into the disappearance of a 40-year-old Reno woman with ties to Churchill County. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the woman had been missing since 11/08/24 and there were some suspicious circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Detectives were able to identify the suspect in her disappearance, 71-year-old Daniel Munoz, her husband. Detectives conducted a search of their residence at the 6100 block of Pleasant Oak Trail, Reno and the 1400 block of Del Rio Dr in Fallon.

During the search of the residence in Fallon, detectives located the body of the missing woman buried in the backyard and determined that she had been killed in Reno by Daniel. Daniel then transported her to Fallon where he buried her.

Daniel was arrested by RPD in Fallon NV for Open Murder, booked into the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office detention facility and will be extradited to Washoe County.

Detectives believe that this is an isolated incident with no threat to the public. The identification of the decedent will be released by the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office after proper notifications have been made.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Reno Police Department's non-emergency line at 775-334-2677, or contact secret witness by calling or texting the tip to 775-322-4900 or secretwitness.com.

Related stories:

Daniel Munoz Murder Case Update - Identification Made of Woman Found Buried Near Del Rio Drive in Fallon  (Bail Set at $5 mill) by Leanna by Lehman 12/6/24

Munoz Case Update: Identification Made of Woman Found Buried Near Del Rio Drive in Fallon by Leanna Lehman 11/27/24

Arrested for Murder in Fallon, Munoz Case Moves to Reno by Leanna Lehman 11/26/24