Despite San Antonio police saying last week they had arrested the “sole suspects” in the deaths of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra, police on Wednesday arrested a third person in the case — a woman believed to be the stepmother of a teen charged with capital murder.
Myrta Romanos, 47, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of abuse of a corpse, alter/destroy/conceal of a human corpse and tampering with evidence, all felonies. Police said the gun used in the slayings belonged to her.
Investigators said she helped Christopher Preciado hide the bodies after he allegedly killed Soto and Guerra. Ramon Preciado, Christopher’s 53-year-old father, is charged with abuse of a corpse in the case.
The bodies of Soto and Guerra were found on Dec. 26 inside Guerra’s Kia parked in a Northwest Side apartment complex parking lot.
According to the arrest warrant affidavits for Christopher and Ramon Preciado, Guerra had gone to Preciado’s home to sell him marijuana on the night of Dec. 21.
He told investigators that Guerra pointed a gun at him and he “was able to manipulate the weapon” resulting in Soto being shot and then Guerra being shot. Investigators said his account did not match the evidence.
After the shootings, Christopher Preciado is accused of dragging Guerra on his back to the backseat of his Kia and then driving Guerra’s vehicle to the apartment complex down the street on Danny Kaye Drive, where the bodies were discovered five days later.
Police identified and arrested Preciado and his father, who police say admitted to being the person seen on a surveillance video getting out of a pickup truck and wiping down the outside of Guerra’s car with a towel.
In the arrest warrant affidavit for Romanos, investigators said there was another person in the truck with Preciado who threw him that towel.
When police questioned Romanos on Jan. 4, the day after Christopher and Ramon Preciado’s arrests, she said she did not recall the events from the night of Dec. 21 and stated that she thought she was asleep at the time, the affidavit stated.
When police searched their home, Romanos’ bedroom door was locked. She told police she was the only person with a key. Police said they found the gun that they believe was used to shoot Soto and Guerra hidden in Romanos’ room. She told officers that the gun was hers and was given to her by a family member, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also stated that surveillance video from her house showed her leaving the home with Ramon Preciado on the night of the incident. Video footage from later that night showed all three suspects returning to the home.
Police arrested Romanos on Wednesday and escorted her from police headquarters to the magistrate’s office.
Police said Christopher Preciado has no previous criminal history, and his father had some criminal history.
Ramon Preciado’s bond is set at $600,000, while Christopher Preciado’s bond has been set at $2 million.