Police in San Antonio, Texas, announced Wednesday night that they had detained a father and son in connection with the killings of pregnant girl Savanah Soto and her boyfriend, whose bodies were discovered in a car in an apartment complex parking lot last week.
Sgt. Washington Moscoso told news outlets late Wednesday night that the two suspects apprehended were 19-year-old Christopher Preciado and 53-year-old Ramon Preciado. According to Moscoso, the son will be prosecuted with capital murder and the father with mistreatment of a corpse. More charges, according to the sergeant, are possible.
Soto and her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, were discovered dead last Thursday, just days before the Texas mother-to-be was set to be induced.
Moscoso stated that Soto’s cellphone, which was recovered at the scene, had important information for officers. Detectives were able to utilize her phone to locate the suspect’s vehicle using surveillance video, which police previously disclosed while making a cry for help, he added.
Moscoso said police found the vehicle and the house it was connected to. The father answered the door, and the authorities questioned him and his son, according to the sergeant.
Moscoso stated that based on what they said during the interview, officers were able to get a search warrant, which led to the charges Wednesday night.
The officer told the journalists that it appeared to be a botched drug sale.
According to Moscoso, the father was not there during the murders but was summoned after.
When asked if a charge would be filed in the death of Soto’s unborn child, Moscoso said detectives would consult with the district attorney, who would decide whether additional charges should be filed.
Both guys were led in front of the media to waiting police vans, and their booking images were issued a short time later. It was unclear whether either had legal representation.
An 18-year-old full-term pregnant lady and a 22-year-old man thought to be Soto and her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, were discovered dead in a Kia Optima in San Antonio last Tuesday, according to police. According to investigators, an unborn child was also discovered dead. According to officials, the truck had been parked there for several days.
The victims were identified as Soto and Guerra by the medical examiner in the days following their discovery, according to authorities.
According to police, both individuals were shot.
Last Thursday, police released surveillance video of two people wanted in connection with the case. According to authorities, one was spotted driving the victims’ Kia Optima, and the other was seen driving a dark-colored pickup truck.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Soto, 18, was last seen on December 22 in Leon Valley. On Monday, the agency issued a CLEAR Alert for Soto, which is meant to assist law enforcement in locating someone who is in urgent danger or has gone missing involuntarily.
The expectant teen had missed her due date, which “caused significant concern among her family members after missing an essential medical appointment,” according to the Leon Valley Police Department.