Man who reportedly had been dead for a month found in wooded area; 2 N.C. suspects arrested
01/13/2023 11:38 am PST
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (TCD) -- Two men were recently arrested after a 51-year-old victim’s body was discovered in a remote area last month.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at approximately 3:41 p.m., Catawba County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a wooded area on Lee Cline Road to a report of a deceased person, the department announced. There, authorities reportedly found the body of a man.
The Sheriff’s Office said an autopsy was performed, and the death was ruled a homicide. Using fingerprint analysis, officials identified the victim as Luiz Enrique Rodriguez.
According to the Hickory Daily Record, 74-year-old Johnny Steward found the victim’s body near his property after his daughter noticed a shiny object in the woods.
The victim’s head was allegedly covered by a hood, and his pants were pulled down.
The warrant obtained by the Hickory Daily Record says the slaying happened on or around Oct. 22, 2022.
On Thursday, Jan. 12, two suspects, 31-year-old Juan Jesus Santellan and 29-year-old Angel Gustavo Gonzalez, were arrested in connection with the homicide investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said. Both suspects were reportedly charged with murder.
In addition to the murder charge, the Hickory Daily Record reports that Santellan faces a simple assault charge. He allegedly assaulted Gonzalez by "exchanged blows to the head area."
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