Four suspected gang members have been accused of brutally murdering a gay man in Arizona – and then sending photos of the victim’s mutilated body to his family.
Bernardo Pantaleon, 30, was found dead in a Phoenix city park on Nov. 26.
Investigators said he had been shot multiple times and then defaced with a knife.
Pantaleon’s family and friends say they believe he was targeted and slaughtered because he is gay and often wears glamorous clothes and makeup.
“He was brutally attacked, and there was blood all over where they found him, meaning he had to run and try to save himself. He couldn’t do it,” his cousin Anai Pantaleon told the Arizona Republic news channel.
Four days later, Pantaleon’s relatives received a photo via Instagram showing his disfigured body, and another person snapped their middle finger at the scene.
Bernardo Pantaleon, 30, was found murdered in a Phoenix, Arizona, park on November 26. The body of Bernardo Pantaleon/Facebook Pantaleon was found in a desert area in Mountain View Park. KPNX
Three of the suspects in the killing, identified as Leonardo Santiago, 21, Manuel Carrasco Calderon, 21, and Jose Rodriguez, 20, were arrested Saturday.
The fourth, 21-year-old Christopher Ibarra, was arrested on Monday.
The suspect is believed to have ties to the North Side 15th Avenue street gang.
Police said they planned to rob Pantaleon and then kill him.
Leonardo Santiago, 21, allegedly confessed to killing Pantaleon after he made unwanted advances on her. MCSO Manuel Carrasco Calderon, 21, allegedly used a knife to mutilate Pantaleon’s body after his death. MCSO Jose David Rodriguez, 20, was allegedly present during the murder. MCSO Christopher Ibarra, 21, allegedly told police he knew of the murder plan but did nothing to stop it. MCSO
Santiago allegedly admitted to police that he shot and killed Pantaleon because he had made “unwanted advances that made him uncomfortable,” according to court records cited by Fox 10 Phoenix.
Calderon allegedly brutalized the victim’s body with a knife, and Rodriguez was present during the killing in Mountain View Park.
It was Rodriguez’s Instagram profile that sent images of Pantaleon’s bloodied body to his family, court filings said, though the suspect denied sending them.
The profile led police to a group chat of the suspects, where they allegedly discussed Pantaleon’s murder.
Pantaleon’s family received photos of his mutilated body via Instagram days after his death. Bernardo Pantaleon/Facebook
“Some made derogatory remarks about the victim’s sexuality and derogatory remarks about homosexuality were not allowed” on Phoenix’s north side, according to the probable cause statement.
Santiago said in a message to his accomplice that he would “get” Pantaleon on the night of Nov. 25, according to court records.
Other group chat members, including Calderon and Rodriguez, allegedly requested updates and photo and video evidence of the murder.
Santiago is charged with first-degree murder, while Calderon and Rodriguez are charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Santiago and Calderon were also charged with crimes against the dead.
A temporary memorial near where Pantaleon was killed. KPNX
Ibarra, who was arrested earlier this week, is charged with first-degree murder and gang aiding and abetting.
Police said the social media profile Ibarra used was in a chat where other suspects talked about Pantaleon’s murder.
Ibarra allegedly admitted that he knew about the planned killing and “didn’t do anything about it,” although he said he admitted “it was wrong not to say anything,” according to records.
Ibarra also allegedly admitted to receiving photos of Pantaleon’s lifeless body, but he denied sending them to the victim’s family.
Pantaleon works in elderly care and supports his siblings. Bernardo Pantaleon/Facebook
All four were ordered held on bonds ranging from $500,000 to $2 million.
Pantaleon works as a caretaker for the elderly. He was described in the GoFundMe campaign as a “rock” for his three siblings after they lost their parents at a young age.
The brother who created the fundraiser said the 30-year-old was “not only full of love, but the funniest and most loving person you will ever meet.”
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