30-year-old dismembered man with kitchen knife, then dumped remains, Arizona cops say

A 30-year-old has been arrested after he was accused of dismembering the body of a man he said overdosed in his home, Arizona officials told news outlets.

The man, later identified as Carlos Guadalupe Leon Soto, was arrested July 26, according to a news release by the Phoenix Police Department.

On June 28, police received reports someone smelled “something gross coming from” a bag in an alley, McClatchy News previously reported. When police arrived, they said they found a bag with human remains inside.

The remains were identified July 5 as 34-year-old Jose Gutierrez, police said.

A man was seen on video walking to an apartment complex in the area, according to CBS 5. Witnesses identified the man as Soto, and he was taken into custody.

During his interview with investigators, Soto said he met Gutierrez while working at a restaurant, according to CBS 5.

Soto told police Gutierrez was staying with him for a few days and overdosed in his apartment, according to ABC 15.

Out of fear of being deported, Soto “threw him away,” according to police documents obtained by ABC 15.

Soto told police he “dismembered Gutierrez’s body inside the apartment over the course of several hours with a kitchen knife,” according to court documents obtained by FOX 10.

He also told investigators he flushed Gutierrez’s organs down the toilet and placed his body parts in trash bags, according to the news outlet.

Soto is facing multiple charges, including concealing a dead body, destroying evidence and hindering prosecution, according to CBS 5.

This story was originally published July 27, 2023 at 11:08 AM with the headline "30-year-old dismembered man with kitchen knife, then dumped remains, Arizona cops say."