Body on mountain highway linked to 3 suspects 80 miles away in Charlotte, NC cops say

A body riddled with bullets in Caldwell County and a Jeep someone tried to burn in Charlotte are part of a crime scene that stretches across 80 miles, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The victim has been identified as Jeimy Alexander Bohorquez–Reyes, 47, of Charlotte, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Three Charlotte residents have been arrested in connection with his death, including two women accused of being accessories after the fact, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The killing was discovered around 2 a.m. on Sunday, July 28, when someone reported seeing a body on the northbound side of U.S. 321 near N.C. 268. The intersection is in the Happy Valley area, about 80 miles northwest of Charlotte.

“Deputies located a male on the side of the roadway that died from apparent gunshot wounds,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The vehicle belonging to the victim, a Burgundy 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was located several hours later in Charlotte and an attempt was made to set the car on fire.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department began working a parallel investigation related to the Jeep, resulting in the arrest of three people on Tuesday, Aug. 3, the sheriff’s office said.

A motive for the killing not been revealed, and investigators have not said why the victim was found so far from Charlotte.

The suspects include:

Felix Alexander Mejia, 21, charged with one count of first-degree murder, burning personal property and malicious use of an incendiary device, officials said.

Ricci Elisabeth Cano Puerto, 18, accessory after the fact to first degree murder, officials said.

Rina Marbella Cano, 20, who is in custody in Mecklenburg County on “unrelated charges” and wanted for accessory after the fact to first degree murder from Caldwell County, the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 6:00 AM.