RUSKIN, Fla. — A man was arrested less than a week after a body was found on fire in a Ruskin field last month.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested Christian Segura Alvarez, 20, in connection to the case after reviewing evidence and interviewing witnesses.
The case started on Saturday, April 15, when HCSO received a 911 call from someone who said they drove by what looked like a mannequin on fire in an open field behind a residential area in the 1100 block of Will Scarlett Avenue.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue first responded to the scene to put out the flames and learned it was actually a dead body. Officials said the victim was found with upper body trauma.
During the investigation, officials found a knife in the victim's back. In addition, remnants of an orange shirt, blue jean fabric, and a mostly intact brown work boot were found either on or around the body.
While examining the body, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office found the victim had been bound at some point during the crime.
A single piece of paper was also located, later determined to be a paystub belonging to the victim. Officials said distinct tire tracks were seen near the body, which tracked from the area of 12th Street Southeast/16th Avenue Southeast and then exiting onto Will Scarlett Avenue going west.
Detectives were approached by the victim's wife while investigating. She informed them that she had not heard from her husband since the previous morning, thinking he might have crashed his car when she saw police in the area.
She told police her husband left for work around 6:00 a.m. and didn't return home that evening. The home was around one mile south of the scene where the body was found. The victim was last seen wearing blue jeans, an orange work shirt, and brown work boots.
During the investigation, detectives were able to find a missing 2014 Chevrolet Silverado in Alachua County belonging to the victim. Detectives said surveillance footage from multiple locations showed Alvarez and another person using the truck.
Cell phone data reportedly placed the truck in the area where the victim's body was later discovered in the early morning hours of the day his body was found.
Alvarez allegedly confessed to being involved in the crime and that he hit and kicked the victim before he died.
Alvarez is facing charges of second-degree murder with a firearm resulting in great bodily harm or death and tampering with physical evidence relating to a capital felony.
No other information has been released at this time.
