Weston Burning Car Mystery Solved, With Lake Worth Man Charged in Teen's Murder: Authorities

A Lake Worth man has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the death of a West Palm Beach teen whose remains were found inside a burning car in Weston last week, authorities said Wednesday.

Hiram Gonzalez Morales, 43, faces the charge in the death of 18-year-old Crestony Colin, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Broward Circuit Judge John Hurley ordered Morales held on no bond Wednesday.

Colin was last heard from on Sunday, Feb. 9 when he was going to conduct a drug deal with a Hispanic man later identified as Morales, the BSO said.

“Mr. Colin had spoken about doing a drug deal for 2-3,000 dollars in the coming days,” Hurley said in bond court, as he read from an arrest report. “You were the person who he would be dealing drugs with, a Spanish male, and there was something big that was going to be set up.”

Morales told investigators that he knew Colin, but he denied being involved in his death, the BSO said. However, Morales had severe burns on both of his legs, the agency said.

Firefighters spotted a four-door sedan fully engulfed in flames on Monday, Feb. 10 at about 9:30 a.m. on Southwest 26th Street, about half a mile east of U.S. 27, the BSO said. They quickly put out the fire and discovered remains inside the trunk.

The remains were later identified as Colin’s. He died of a gunshot wound, the BSO said.

A search warrant was served at Morales’ Lake Worth home on Tuesday, and he agreed to speak with investigators at BSO headquarters, the agency said.

It wasn’t immediately known whether Morales has an attorney.

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