MADISON, Wis. -- Mexican authorities said that the man in custody in connection with the killing of a longtime activist and volunteer in Madison's gay community has confessed.

VIDEO: Watch The Report

Felicia Melton-Smyth was killed in her hotel room in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico early Monday morning. According to Mexican justice officials, Melton-Smyth was stabbed and robbed.

Melton-Smyth was vacationing with a group of about 20 people from the Madison area. The group had recently arrived in Puerto Vallarta.

The 36-year-old Mexican suspect, identified as Francisco Javier Hoyos Reyes, is in custody and police said that he confessed to Melton-Smyth's killing.

Victor Orozco, an official with the Agency of Public Prosecution in Puerto Vallarta, said that Hoyos Reyes, who is homeless, claimed that Melton-Smyth offered him $20 for sex, but when they went back to her room at the Brisas del Mar hotel, refused to pay him.

Hoyos Reyes then grabbed a knife from a kitchen and stabbed her multiple times.

Authorities said that a member of the vacationing group walked in as the suspect was cleaning himself off. The man ran to the hotel's receptionist for help and the police were called.

The suspect then allegedly took bottles of liquor and Melton-Smyth's purse. As he sought to escape, Hoyos Reyes hit a police officer with a bottle and a foot chase ensued but he was apprehended three blocks away, Orozco said.

Mexican officials said that he's tentatively being charged with intentional homicide. He doesn't have money for an attorney so Mexican authorities will appoint one for him, Orozco said.

Orozco said that an autopsy has been ordered.

Group Still In Puerto Vallarta

Terry Halverson, the tour director for the vacation group, posted a statement on a Web site that said there wasn't a cause for concern.

"I can assure you that all guests are safe here in Puerto Vallarta. This tragedy is not the hotel's fault, nor Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This was truly a random act by a crazy person."

The group was scheduled to leave Mexico on Saturday. Some were considering returning home early, but most said that they're staying because that's what Melton-Smyth would have wanted.

Officials Trying To Track Down Next Of Kin

There is no word yet on when Melton-Smyth's body will be brought back from Mexico. Her friends are concerned about getting Melton-Smyth's body back to Wisconsin.

Officials from the U.S. consulate in Mexico said that they're having a difficult time tracking down Melton-Smyth's father -- the next of kin -- who has the sole power to decide on plans to bring her body back to the U.S.

Since that decision hasn't come yet, no funeral or memorial plans have been made, WISC-TV reported.

Victim Was Gay Rights Activist

Melton-Smyth was a well-known gay rights activist from Madison. A Web site set up in her name said that she was on vacation at the Brisas del Mar hotel.

The news of Melton-Smyth's death spread quickly through Madison's LGBT community this weekend.

Many friends spent Memorial Day at the Shamrock Pub in downtown Madison, where Melton-Smyth worked part-time.

Friends like Dan Leamy said Melton-Smyth was a tireless advocate for the AIDS Network in Madison. She was best known for selling paper Christmas bulbs to raise money for holiday gifts and toys for adults and children living with HIV and AIDS.

"That was kind of her legacy," said Leamy. "This was the last year she was doing it and she was passing on the reign to another person."

Melton-Smyth also volunteered as a crew member in the annual AIDS Ride.

Players in the LGBT Summer Softball League said she was their best cheerleader, present for every game with her pom-poms and million-dollar smile. She also served as the SSBL – Madison Community service chairman.

"What little bit of volunteering a person can has a huge impact on our community. Sure, it's easy to give a dollar to an organization, but putting time in to help someone is an incredibly rewarding feeling, " Melton- Smyth said in a statement on the LGBT softball Web site.

"If she were here fight now, if she were looking over us she'd be like, 'It's Memorial Day, and there are military veterans that have lost their lives. I'm not a hero.' But in my eyes she was," said co-worker and close friend Leamy.

"She was just one of those people who would give and give and give and didn't want anything in return," said Leamy. "Just as long as she could make someone smile, that was Felicia's life. She wanted to make people happy."

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.

For More Info:

Felicia Melton-Smyth's Web Site