A 30-year-old man from Arizona has been apprehended for allegedly dismembering his friend’s body, disposing of the organs down the toilet, and placing the remains in multiple trash bags. The bags were left to decompose in a Phoenix alleyway. Carlos Guadalupe Leon Soto was taken into custody on Wednesday and now faces charges of hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence, and abandonment or concealment of a dead body, as announced by authorities.
The investigation began on June 28th when officers from the Phoenix Police Department received a call reporting “unknown trouble” in the vicinity of 39th Avenue and McDowell Road. The caller had mentioned a foul odor emanating from a bag in the area. Upon arrival, first responders discovered a bag containing what appeared to be human remains. Additional bags nearby were also found to contain human remains, as confirmed by detectives from the Phoenix Police Department.
Through meticulous examination, the victim was identified as 34-year-old Jose Gutierrez. A police report revealed that the bag emptied by investigators did not contain a head. The remains were subsequently sent to the crime lab, where Gutierrez’s identity was established.
Surveillance camera footage from the vicinity captured a man resembling Carlos Guadalupe Leon Soto walking near the location where the bags were left. The footage showed him entering a nearby apartment complex. With the help of residents, the police were able to identify Soto as the suspect.
Authorities have not yet disclosed any potential motive for the crime, and it remains unclear how Soto and Gutierrez were connected. The investigation is still taking place, and further details are expected to emerge as the case progresses. The Phoenix Police Department is urging anyone with additional information to come forward and assist in the investigation.