A Texas man and his 17-year-old son are behind bars, charged in connection with the murder of a man found in a burning vehicle early last week.
Harris County deputies were initially called about a vehicle fire around 4 a.m. Thursday and found a man’s body in the back seat when the fire was extinguished, KRIV reported. The victim had been shot, and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said he was identified as 25-year-old Juan Francisco Benitez.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Ernesto Bustamante, 44, who was charged with murder and tampering with evidence. Police say that the two men were at Bustamante’s home when an argument broke out and escalated to murder.
Bustamante loaded the body into a truck, drove it to a wooded area, and lit it on fire.
Now, police have arrested Bustamante’s son, Santiago Bustamante, and charged with with tampering with evidence involving a human corpse, according to KHOU.
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[Featured image: Ernesto Bustamante/Harris County Sheriff’s Office]
