A 42-year-old Florida man, Arnaldo Cintron, is accused of murdering a 41-year-old mother of two, Hiojaira Velez Bonilla. Allegedly, following her death, Cintron wore the victim’s clothes and forced her boyfriend to help him dispose of the body.
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According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, the incident occurred in the early hours of August 15. The victim’s boyfriend, Elga Davis II, who later reported the events to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), lived with Bonilla at her Maybrook Avenue residence.
Recently, Cintron’s girlfriend, Giselle Marie Santiago Bonilla, who is also Hiojaira’s cousin, had moved in, and Cintron occasionally stayed at the residence. Also living in the residence were Hiojaira’s two teenage sons.
Between 12 and 1 a.m., Hiojaira and Cintron engaged in a heated argument over bills. The document alleged that, at one point, Cintron pushed Hiojaira to the kitchen floor and stabbed her to death. He called her, “B-tch, b-tch, b-tch,” police added.
Davis, who was in the living room at the time, entered the kitchen and saw what was taking place. Cintron and Bonilla prevented him from walking away, and Cintron threatened to kill him if he didn’t “help them clean it up,” the documents alleged.
A Man, Threatened
Fearing that Cintron might kill him, his family, or Hiojaira’s sons, Davis complied. He helped him by putting Hiojaira in a cardboard box, according to the documents. Then, the body was allegedly loaded into the back of the victim’s car. Later, Davis was ordered to clean up the bloody floor with wet wipes and bleach, the documents said.
While cleaning, according to the documents, Hiojaira’s 16-year-old walked into the kitchen. He asked why they were cleaning and where his mother was. Cintron and Bonilla allegedly told him that they were cleaning a “spilled drink.” They also added that his mother had “left to go be with another man,” as per the documents.
Bizarrely, the document alleged that Cintron ordered Davis to change into Hiojaira’s clothes. Meanwhile, police said that Cintron changed into a dress belonging to his alleged victim, putting on a wig too.
As they were finishing cleaning up and discarding items used in the murder, Bonilla told Davis that Cintron “did this for him,” adding that Hiojaira was “evil” and that “she deserved this for the way she treated” Davis, the documents alleged.
Body Disposal
At around 7:30 a.m., Arnaldo Cintron allegedly ordered Davis to drive the vehicle carrying Hiojaira’s body and a trash bag filled with evidence. They eventually arrived at a secluded area in Weedon Island Natural Preserve, according to the documents.
Along the way, an additional individual referred to as “Tarzan” was picked up and allegedly assisted with the body’s disposal. Cintron, while talking with Tarzan, reportedly referred to Hiojaira as “one eye Willy.” The documents explained that Hiojaira had an eye patch over her right eye due to a medical condition.
After Hiojaira’s body was allegedly dumped, and as they were all leaving the preserve, they had to return as they had left the trash bag filled with evidence, police said. The trash bag and an additional blue cardboard box containing evidence were allegedly discarded in various locations.
Following the traumatic ordeal, Cintron allegedly offered to share Hiojarai’s bank account money with Davis. Furthermore, Cintron allegedly ordered Davis to provide Hiojara’s cellphone, wallets with her credit cards, and her laptop.
After allegedly being told to “remember their arrangement,” referring to the death threats, Davis walked into the District II Office of the HCSO and reported what had occurred. He directed the authorities to the place where the body and the evidence were discarded.
Arnaldo Cintron and Giselle Marie Santiago Bonilla were arrested on August 18 and charged with unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body in unapproved conditions, tampering with physical evidence, and tampering with a witness.
Additionally, Cintron was charged with second-degree murder with a weapon. Bonilla, meanwhile, was charged with accessory after the fact.