Authorities have arrested a man in connection with a body that was found burning in a field last month, according to a Florida sheriff’s department. A second suspect is still at large.
A caller reported to police that they believed they saw a mannequin on fire in a field behind a residential area in Ruskin at around 8 a.m. April 15, according to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
When fire crews arrived, they determined it was actually a burning body, McClatchy News previously reported.
The person had upper body trauma but could not immediately be identified due to the severity of the burns. The man’s identity has since been confirmed, but the sheriff’s office did not release his name.
Deputies arrested Christian Segura-Alvarez, 20, on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence relating to a capital felony, according to the Hillsborough County jail records. He is being held on a $600,000 bond.
Detectives also issued warrants for second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, tampering with physical evidence and grand theft of a motor vehicle for a second suspect, identified as Carlos Almaraz-Barbosa, the release says.
“While we believe this to be an isolated incident, this man clearly has no regard for human life, and we are committed to closing this case with his arrest,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I urge anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward and help us to bring this victim’s family the closure they deserve.”
Deputies asked anyone with information about the suspect to call the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200.
The sheriff’s office said detectives were still working to determine a potential motive and whether the suspects and victim knew each other.