Suspect confesses to unprovoked killing in Phoenix, PD says
Second-degree murder suspect appears in court
Police arrested a 23-year-old man who admitted to killing Efrin Victor Evangelista, 48, whose body was found near a Phoenix canal. Bryan Flores Barrientos confessed to shooting, investigators say. FOX 10's Lauren Clark has the latest.
PHOENIX - A suspect was arrested in connection to a decomposing body that was found near a Phoenix canal on Sept. 22.
The backstory:
On Sept. 22 at around 11:45 a.m. near 36th Street and Portland Avenue, Phoenix Police officers responded to a nearby canal and found a man "in the beginning stages of decomposition with obvious signs of trauma."
The victim was identified as 48-year-old Efrin Victor Evangelista.
Evangelista's death was considered to be a homicide.
Body found near canal in Phoenix, police say
Police say a man was found dead on Sept. 22 near a canal in the area of 36th and Portland Streets. The victim hasn't been identified, but a homicide investigation is underway.
Dig deeper:
On Sept. 24, the Phoenix Police Department said Bryan Flores Barrientos, 23, was arrested in connection to Evangelista's death, and that he admitted to shooting him.
His arrest was made possible because detectives recalled a Sept. 19 report from someone who "reported seeing a suspicious man in the area of 35th Street and McDowell Road after shots were heard."
At the time, officers weren't able to find Evangelista's body based on the information they were given.
"Detectives re-interviewed the witness, and based on the information provided, video surveillance was collected that helped identify the suspect, 23-year-old Bryan Flores Barrientos," Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Krynsky said.
Bryan Flores Barrientos (MCSO)
Barrientos was arrested on Sept. 23 and reportedly admitted to shooting and killing Evangelista, unprovoked.
"Barrientos admitted to detectives that he shot Efrin Evangelista without provocation and hid the gun at a relative’s home sometime after the shooting. Detectives were able to secure search warrants and locate the possible firearm used by Barrientos," Sgt. Krynsky said.
What they're saying:
"The state does believe that the defendant is an extreme danger to the community. He shot the victim, admittedly eight times unprovoked while he was sleeping," said a prosecutor during a hearing for Barrientos.
He reportedly said he had been drinking and went into the canal to practice target shooting. That’s where he saw Evangelista sleeping nearby.
Barrientos allegedly told officers he was having "family problems." Barrientos said he took a deep breath and shot him eight times.
He then went to a liquor store and fast food restaurant before going to his mom’s house to hide the gun. After executing a search warrant, police say they found the gun in the same location where he said it would be.
"Come on. I mean, we are human beings, too, you know? Can’t we just coexist with each other?" said Phoenix man, Rudy Naranjo.
He is saddened by the murder, and says those on the streets are often dehumanized.
"Let them live. Let them be. They aren’t bothering anybody. There’s some really good people there who are just stuck in a phase where they are alcoholics or hooked on drugs, and they are just trying to survive," Naranjo said.
What's next:
Barrientos is accused of second-degree murder.
Detectives stress that this remains an open case and investigation.
Map of the area where the incident happened