Suspect allegedly discarded trash bags with victim’s dismembered body
Investigators arrested a third person for allegedly tampering with evidence in connection with the killing of Anthony Trejo.
Michael Aceto, 34, was arrested Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at a home on the 10300 block of Galahad in Northeast El Paso. Aceto allegedly helped the murder suspects discard trash bags containing the victim’s dismembered body, according to a complaint affidavit obtained by ABC-7.
Aceto was taken into custody and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility. His bond was set at $10,000.
Investigators Wednesday announced the arrests of Phillip Esquer, 40; and Elvira Maria Navarette, 52, for allegedly tampering with evidence in connection with the investigation. Both were booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on Bonds of $10,000.
Police said Trejo was killed September 12, 2016. His remains were found on Fort Bliss property in mid-October approximately two miles east of the 11700 block of Railroad.
The murder investigation began when the SWAT team, in September, raided the residence at 8912 Ortega on an unrelated warrant. While investigating, police allegedly found evidence a murder had taken place inside the home.
An investigation led to the arrests of 33-year old Roberto Favela, 41-year old Romuldo Trujillo, 29-year old Steven Ramirez, 36-year old Erlinda Lujan, and 20-year old Adrian Herrera on murder charges.
A “source of information” told police Favela bludgeoned Trejo with a metal dumbbell inside the residence at 8912 Ortega, a complaint affidavit states.
The victim’s body was allegedly taken to a residence at 7361 Alameda, where he died, a complaint affidavit states. Aceto allegedly told police he rode along with the murder suspects to the 11700 block of Railroad, where the trash bags containing the victim’s body parts were throw away.
After he was taken into custody, Aceto allegedly took investigators to the site, where the remains were found.
Police said Favela was arrested on an unrelated criminal warrant and told investigators he, along with Ramirez and Trujillo, assaulted the victim inside the home on Ortega. Favela was wearing a watch belonging to the victim during the interview, police said.
When Ramirez was arrested, he allegedly told police he worked for “La Linea,” had a blacklist, that Trejo was on that blacklist, and had to “be taken out as trash with other drug users.”
La Linea is the enforcement arm of the Juarez Drug Cartel.
