Authorities in Florida arrested a third suspect in the 2025 stabbing death of Hiojaira Mercedes Velez-Bonilla. Andre Gerhardt, previously known as 'Tarzan,' faces charges including unlawfully moving a dead body. The arrest followed a guilty plea by Giselle Santiago-Bonilla, Velez-Bonilla's cousin.
In Riverview, Florida, 41-year-old Hiojaira Mercedes Velez-Bonilla was stabbed to death in 2025 by Arnaldo Cintron, 43, the boyfriend of her cousin Giselle Santiago-Bonilla, 38. The incident stemmed from an argument over bills and household chores at a home in the area, according to police reports cited by Law & Crime. Velez-Bonilla's boyfriend, 30-year-old Elga Davis II, attempted to flee but was blocked by Santiago-Bonilla. Afterward, Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla allegedly forced Davis to help clean the scene and dispose of the body, threatening that he 'was next' if he refused. Davis testified he 'just did as [he] was told,' stuffing the body into a cardboard box wrapped in black mesh after four hours of cleanup. Fearing for his life, Davis wore his girlfriend's wig and dress while driving the group and the box to the apartment of a man known as 'Tarzan.' On February 26, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 33-year-old Andre Gerhardt as that individual. Gerhardt, arrested on February 24, faces charges of unlawfully moving a dead body, carrying a concealed weapon as a felon, accessory after the fact, and burglary. Court documents show Santiago-Bonilla identified Gerhardt as 'Tarzan' before her February guilty plea to accessory after the fact, tampering with a witness, tampering with evidence, and unlawfully moving a dead body. Gerhardt admitted to police that he helped remove the box from the car and drag it into mangroves, knowing its contents, but did not contact law enforcement. Cintron, charged with first-degree murder and related offenses, remains in custody at Falkenburg Road Jail. His next court date is May 18, coinciding with Gerhardt's appearance. Santiago-Bonilla faces sentencing on April 29.
