PASCO, Wash. – Two people are charged with murder in the drug related death of a man reported missing last year.
According to court documents, Kennewick Police began to search for Anibal Arreola on April 30th, 2024 after his brother heard he’d been tied up, shot, placed in the trunk of his vehicle and dumped in the river.
Detectives executed search warrants and obtained global position system (GPS) data to track the whereabouts of the suspects and Arreola to the Vernita Bridge on March 13th, 2024, court documents said.
Further investigative work into digital accounts such as ICloud and Messenger revealed conversations about illegal drug transactions, anonymous tips between 7/29/2024 and 8/22/2024 and other information, leading detectives to execute additional search warrants, said court documents.
Subsequent Interviews with alleged associates and photographs revealed Arreola dead in the bathroom with multiple gunshot and stab wounds before his body was put in a garbage can and loaded into the back of a truck, said court documents.
Three people in the truck traveled to the Columbia River just upstream from the Vernita Bridge and dumped the garbage can with Arreola’s body inside into the water, court documents revealed.
Detectives arrested the suspected shooter, Javier Santana Jr., 49, on a charge of first degree murder. He’s being held in Franklin County Jail on $1-million bail.
Kimberly Salas, Jason Bennett and Vintley Harper were also arrested as alleged accomplices. Bennett is charged with first-degree murder and his bail set at 1-million dollars.
Court documents said Bennett tampered with evidence and participated in the disposal of Arreola’s body.
Bennett and Santana Jr. made court appearances last week
Investigators say Arreola was killed over an $800 debt involving drugs.
Arreola’s body still has not been found.
