Witness to Phoenix woman’s killing led investigators to body
Jan 21, 2022, 1:59 PM
Irene Luevano and Jorge Quintero Lara (Courtesy Photos)
(Courtesy Photos)
PHOENIX (AP) — A witness to the killing of a 37-year-old Phoenix woman led investigators to the western Arizona desert site where the victim was killed and her remains dumped, police said Friday.
Irene Luevano’s body was found Thursday along Interstate 10 in La Paz County, police said.
Diego Hernan Rodriguez Teran, who lived with Luevano’s boyfriend, Jorge Quintero Lara, initially denied having seen Lara since before the killing, a police probable-cause statement.
However, Teran, 24, was arrested on suspicion of hindering prosecution after he later acknowledged seeing Lara fatally stab Luevano and dump her body, police said.
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The public defender’s office, which represents Lara, didn’t not immediately respond to a request for comment. Court records didn’t list an attorney for Teran.
Police also said blood was found in Luevano’s abandoned car in metro Phoenix and that investigators tracked Lara’s cellphone to where Luevano’s remains were found.
Luevano was last seen alive at a bar Sunday with Lara. Her family reported her missing after she phoned to Lara had stabbed her in the neck, police said.
Lara was arrested and jailed on unrelated charges early in the week but he was re-arrested Thursday after he made incriminating statements during an interview about stabbing Luevano, police said.
