A woman and her boyfriend were arrested in connection with the murder of the woman's mother whose body was set on fire after she was suffocated with a trash bag at a home in southwest Miami-Dade, authorities said.
Sasha Gonzalez, 29, and Yancel Castillo, 30, were arrested after the remains of Gonzalez's mother were discovered at a home in the 22300 block of Southwest 127th Place in Goulds Tuesday, according to Miami-Dade Police arrest reports.
According to the reports, officers were dispatched to the home for a welfare check on Gonzalez's mother and discovered burned clothing in the front yard, apparent bones in a trash bin in the front of the home and a large charred area on the ground in a side yard. Officers also noticed the scent of bleach cleaning product in the home and found open cleaning containers in the victim's bedroom, the reports said.
Gonzalez spontaneously stated to detectives that the victim was hurting her so she paid someone $50 to hurt the victim, but didn't know the person would kill the victim, the reports said.
Gonzalez told detectives that her mother was sleeping in her locked bedroom Sunday when Gonzalez removed the doorknob, put a black trash bag over her mother's head and suffocated her with the help of Castillo's brother, the reports said.
On Monday, Castillo and his brother took the mother's body to the side yard, gathered tree branches to put on the victim's body then set it on fire, the reports said.
Detectives spent hours at the home Wednesday, gathering evidence from the side of the home where the body was allegedly burned.
Castillo said he saw Gonzalez with blood stains throughout her clothing and sandals, and saw her using a mop and household cleaners to clean blood in the victim's bedroom and bathroom, the reports said.
The victim's name and age weren't released by police but neighbors identified her as Hilda Gonzalez.
"He basically chopped her up and barbecued her and the cops found the remains in the barbecue," neighbor Naidyt Hernandez said.
Gonzalez was charged with first-degree murder and attempted tampering with physical evidence. Castillo was charged with attempted tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a dead body, and accessory after the fact.
Police haven't said if Castillo's brother would be charged.
Gonzalez was being held without bond Wednesday, while Castillo was being held on $25,000 bond, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
