Two people were arrested in a homicide investigation after a woman's body was found near the Gandy Bridge.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Arnaldo Cintron, 42, fatally stabbed Hiojaira Velez Bonilla, 42, following an altercation inside a Riverview home on Friday night. Giselle Santiago Bonilla, 37, then helped Cintron dispose of the body near the Weedon Island Preserve off the Gandy Bridge.
Deputies issued a warrant for Cintron and Giselle on Aug. 17, and both were arrested a day later on Parsons Street.
The brutal murder left the community on edge, with one witness reporting the incident to the authorities.
Neighbors told Tampa Bay 28 on Monday that they are worried, saying Hiojaira leaves behind two children.
"Makes you feel pretty angry, cause she's a mother, she has children, and I wouldn't have been able to live if that happened to my wife," said Ronnie Parmer, who lives right next door to where the incident unfolded. "It's pretty tragic."
Cintron was charged with murder in the second degree with a weapon, unlawfully hold or move a dead human body in unapproved conditions, tampering with physical evidence and tampering with a witness.
Giselle was charged with tampering with physical evidence, unlawfully hold or move a dead human body in unapproved conditions, tampering with a witness and accessory after the fact.
"This was a brutal act of violence followed by a callous attempt to cover it up," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "No life should ever be taken in such a senseless manner, and no attempt to conceal a crime will shield those responsible from justice. Our detectives were relentless, ensuring both individuals were held accountable, and they will now face the full weight of the law."
Deputies said this is still an active investigation.
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