Gang member who helped mutilate Phoenix murder victim is sentenced

PHOENIX — One of the gang members accused of being involved in the murder of a gay man at a Phoenix park two years ago was sentenced to prison this week, authorities said.

Manuel Carrasco Calderon was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for mutilating the dead body of Bernardo Pantaleon, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).

The slain 30-year-old’s body was found with multiple injuries to his head, neck and torso in a Mountain View Park near Seventh and Peoria avenues on Nov. 26, 2023.

Phoenix gang member sentenced after murder of a gay man

His murder was orchestrated by three members of the North Side 15th Avenue gang, prosecutors said.

Carrasco Calderon conspired with Leonardo Santiago and Jose David Rodriguez Soriano to rob and kill Pantaleon. Carrasco Calderon told investigators they discussed the murder, sharing videos and photographs to determine a plan.

Santiago met up with Pantaleon at a park before fatally shooting him, MCAO said. An hour later, he returned with Carrasco Calderon, who mutilated the victim’s body by using a knife with a brass knuckle handle.

The gang members also shared photos they’d taken of Pantaleon’s desecrated body to his family members through Rodriguez Soriano’s social media profile.

Charges gang member faces after murder of a gay man

Carrasco Calderon pleaded guilty to assisting a criminal street gang and improper practice with a dead person in January 2025.

Santiago and Rodriguez Soriano remain in custody and are facing various charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

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