By Joe Johnson
A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found concealed near his house 10 months ago.
Javier Carbajal-Soto, 51, was booked into the county jail Saturday on charges of concealing the death of another and tampering with evidence.
The death that's under investigation is that of 38-year-old Adriana Casteñeda, who the suspect was said to have been dating at the time she was reported to be missing from her Kathwood Drive home on March 7.
Her body was found three weeks later in woods near Carbajal-Soto's house on Maple Forge Drive.
Although a cause and manner for the woman’s death have yet to be established, investigators have been probing it as though foul play was involved.
Police indicated that there were no obvious signs of trauma to Castañeda’s body that could explain her death and said that an autopsy at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s State Crime Lab was inconclusive.
“Castañeda’s death has not been ruled a homicide, it is just being investigated as one,” said Lt. David Norris, commanding officer for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division. “There was a loss of life and until the manner of death is clearly determined we will devote resources to its investigation and resolution the same as a criminal homicide investigation.”
After Castañeda’s body was found on March 21, investigators obtained warrants for Carbajal-Soto's arrest on the death concealment and evidence tampering charges.
“We believe Carbajal attempted to conceal the death and discovery of Castañeda based on what was discovered during the investigation," Norris said. “
At the time the arrests were secured, police believed that Carbajal-Soto had possibly fled to Mexico.
It could not immediately be learned on Sunday where the suspect had been arrested or by whom.
He is being detained without bail at the Clarke County Jail.
Drugs. Drugs. Drugs.
What a mess.