Woman who forced her murdered cousin's boyfriend to wear wig and dress when dumping body rats out 3rd suspect: DA

A 3rd fishy has been arrested successful transportation with the 2025 murder of a Florida woman, days aft different fishy entered a plea.

Giselle Santiago-Bonilla, 38, pleaded blameworthy successful February to accessory aft the fact, tampering with a witness, tampering with evidence, and unlawfully moving a dormant body, each charges successful transportation with the stabbing decease of her cousin, 41-year-old Hiojaira Mercedes Velez-Bonilla. As Law&Crime antecedently reported, Velez-Bonilla was allegedly stabbed to decease by Santiago-Bonilla's boyfriend, 43-year-old Arnaldo Cintron, aft an statement implicit bills and household chores.

Police said Velez-Bonilla's boyfriend, 30-year-old Elga Davis II, tried to run, but Santiago-Bonilla blocked him from leaving. After Velez-Bonilla was dead, the different mates allegedly forced Davis to enactment connected her wig and deterioration her formal portion helium disposed of her body.

On Feb. 26, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced that a 3rd suspect, 33-year-old Andre Gerhardt, was arrested successful transportation with the case. In tribunal documents reviewed by Law&Crime, Gerhardt was antecedently identified lone arsenic "Tarzan," the antheral who allegedly helped Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla fig retired however to dispose of Velez-Bonilla's body. Gerhardt was charged with unlawfully moving a dormant body, carrying a concealed limb arsenic a felon, accessory aft the fact, and burglary.

According to Law&Crime's previous coverage, Davis testified astatine a pretrial detention proceeding for Cintron, who has been charged with first-degree murder, unlawfully moving a dormant body, tampering with grounds and tampering with a witness. Davis told the tribunal astatine the clip that Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla said unless helium helped them cleanable up the scene, helium "was next."

After the 3 of them spent astir 4 hours cleaning up the scene, Velez-Bonilla's assemblage was stuffed into a cardboard container that was wrapped successful achromatic mesh. Davis testified that helium "just did arsenic [he] was told" erstwhile helium forced his girlfriend's assemblage to acceptable into the box.

Fearing for his life, helium past complied with the request by Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla to deterioration 1 of his dormant girlfriend's wigs and 1 of her agelong dresses portion helium drove them each and the assemblage to the flat of a antheral known arsenic "Tarzan."

More from Law&Crime: 'I conscionable did what I was told': Man forced to deterioration murdered girlfriend's clothing, wig details however fishy allegedly made him worldly assemblage successful container to 'make it fit'

Before formalizing her plea deal, Santiago-Bonilla identified Gerhardt arsenic "Tarzan" and confirmed that helium assisted successful disposing of Velez-Bonilla's body, according to tribunal documents. Gerhardt told constabulary aft helium was arrested connected Feb. 24 that helium assisted successful helping Cintron, Santiago-Bonilla, and Davis region the container containing the assemblage from the car and resistance it retired into the mangroves. Police said helium knew what was wrong the box, and helium admitted that helium ne'er contacted instrumentality enforcement.

Cintron remains successful custody astatine the Falkenburg Road Jail. His adjacent tribunal quality is scheduled for May 18, the aforesaid time Gerhardt is scheduled to look successful court.

Santiago-Bonilla is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected April 29.