Police: Theft of drugs a factor in Chandler beheading

by Laurie Merrill - Oct. 27, 2010 06:05 PM
The Arizona Republic

The three suspects wanted in the decapitation of a man in Chandler earlier this month are back in Mexico and the target of an international manhunt, police said Wednesday.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is one of the agencies looking for three men who came to Chandler Oct. 6 and are suspected in the stabbing and beheading of a fourth man Oct. 10 who accompanied them from Perris, California, police said.

Detectives are focusing on drug-cartel involvement due to "theft of illegal drugs," Chandler Police Det. David Ramer said Wednesday. He did not elaborate on the theft, but the police report labels the crime as a robbery/homicide.

Police have arrested one suspect, Crisantos Moroyoqui,36, who was renting a bed for $100 a month in the apartment across the way from the murder scene at 300 W. Fairview St.

Four men traveled to Chandler from California, but are originally from Mexico, police said. They came here to visit a friend, police said.

According to police:

The visitors had rented a room at the Value Place hotel at 43rd avenue and Interstate 10 in Phoenix from Oct. 6 through 14. During part of their stay, they visited Las Vegas.

On the night of Oct. 9, Moroyoqui met the four visitors at the El Coyote bar in Chandler. They wound up back at the apartment across from Moroyoqui's, and were drinking wine and beer until 4:30 a.m.

Neighbors reported the five men had candles lit, were using a Ouija, or spirit, board, and were talking about Santa Muerte. One resident of the apartment was so uncomfortable with the talk he left and sat in a car with a friend.

Moroyoqui at one point was heard shouting at the murder victim, "Who are you? Who are you?"

At about 5:30 a.m., witnesses saw three of the visitors flee in a dark maroon Ford Expedition.

Inside, they found the fourth visitor, lying on his belly in a large pool of blood, this head about a foot and a half away from his torso, police said.

Police said the suspect and victims were "recent friends and associates."

A large kitchen knife was found on the patio on a white plastic lawn chair, but police have not said whether it is the murder weapon.

Within hours police arrested Moroyoqui on suspicion of 2nd degree murder and hindering prosecution, police said. Police said he blood on his pants and his shoes.

Moroyoqui had fallen asleep in the apartment where he had lived three months while the three visitors were speeding away, according to reports.

The murder victim has been identified as Martin Alejandro Cota-Monroy, 38.

The other suspects, considered armed and dangerous, are:

- Juan Campos Morales Aguilar. He is about 5 foot 10 inches, 220 pounds and has short dark hair and a thin mustache. He was least seen wearing a black shirt with a white T-shirt and jeans.

- Jose David Castro Reyes, 25. He is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, is clean shaven and has short hair. He was wearing jeansand a white T-shirt.

- The third suspect, whose full name is not known, is about 5 foot 3 inches tall, with short spiked black hair and a goatee. He was wearing a white T-shirt, with a black pattern shirt and Levis.


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