PUEBLO, Colo. – The woman whose body was found in a suitcase in a dumpster in Pueblo last Thursday was missing the head, both hands as well as both feet, Pueblo police said in a news release Wednesday.
The dismembered body of Maria Cuevas-Garcia, 58, was found at a south side car wash, but details about her cause and manner of death have not been released.
Since its discovery, detectives with the Crimes Against Persons Section have been searching for the woman’s missing body parts with the help of canine handlers from the Elizabeth Police Department on the southwest side of Pueblo in the area of Colorado Highway 78, according to police.
Surveillance video of a man putting the suitcase in the dumpster was released Thursday evening. The next day, on Friday evening, police arrested 36-year-old Anthony Cuevas for investigation on one count of first-degree murder and for a parole violation, as well as his wife, 36-year-old Melanie Ann Cuevas, who was brought in on a criminal impersonation warrant, Pueblo police said last week.
The Pueblo Chieftan reported last week that Maria Cuevas-Garcia is the mother of Anthony Cuevas.
The homicide investigation as well as the search for the woman’s missing body parts are ongoing.
Police urged the public to contact them if they had any more information about the case, including the whereabouts of the woman’s missing body parts.
You are urged to call Captain Eric Bravo at (719) 320-6049, Detective Ron Gravatt at (719) 320-6022 or Detective Ryan Torres at (719) 320-6037. If you’d like to remain anonymous, you can call Pueblo Crime Stoppers at (719) 542-7867.
