A third person was arrested in connection with the Savanah Soto murder case Wednesday when the stepmother of the accused killer was charged for allegedly helping dump the bodies of the pregnant teen and her boyfriend after they were fatally shot.
Myrta Romanos, 47, was taken into custody just days after Christopher Preciado, 19, and his father, Ramon Preciado, 53, were arrested in connection to the murder of Soto and boyfriend Matthew Guerra, according to San Antonio police.
Romanos was charged with felony counts of abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing a human corpse.
Christopher Preciado allegedly shot and killed the couple using a gun that belonged to Romanos, police said.
Surveillance footage showed Romanos traveling with her stepson and Ramon, her live-in partner when they allegedly left their home to dump the bodies before they returned.
When police interviewed Romanos on Jan. 4 following the arrest of Christopher and Ramon, she claimed she thought she was asleep at the time Soto and Guerra were killed and their bodies transported, according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT.
“There was a lot of information on social media that there was a third individual involved,” San Antonio police Lt. Michelle Ramos said during a press briefing streamed on the television station.
“Our homicide detectives were aware of that, however we were looking for enough probable cause to make that arrest and present the best case forward to the DA’s office.”
Romanos was wearing a black Ozzy Osborne shirt as she was trotted out of the police station by investigators. She remained silent as she entered the back of a police cruiser.
Christopher Preciado was charged with capital murder after he allegedly blasted the young couple in a drug deal gone bad, police previously said.
The accused killer claimed to police he shot the pair in self-defense after Soto and Guerra had driven to his home to sell him weed, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Express-News. Authorities believe that the version of events doesn’t match up with the evidence though.
Ramon Preciado was charged with abuse of a corpse after he allegedly helped move the bodies.
Soto, who was nine months pregnant, and Guerra were found in their car outside an apartment complex on Dec. 26. Their unborn baby was also declared dead.
Soto was reported missing days earlier before she was supposed to be induced into labor.
“At this time we’re confident that there’s no more suspects,” Ramos said Wednesday.