Man charged with murder after body found stabbed near St. Paul railroad tracks
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is facing murder charges after another man was found dead near railroad tracks in St. Paul.
St. Paul murder near railroad tracks
What we know:
According to charges, a man walking his dog found the body of Gabriel Arrazola Perez near the 1400 block of Case Avenue around 11 a.m. on May 25. Perez had been stabbed multiple times and was declared dead at the scene.
Investigators discovered a blood trail along the railroad track and found one of Perez's sandals about six feet from the body. Perez’s vehicle was located less than a half-mile away.
Perez’s family told investigators he left a gathering around 4 p.m. on May 24 to meet friends at a brewery and said he planned to return. Cell phone records showed Perez called a number four times before receiving a pin location on WhatsApp near where his body was found.
Dig deeper:
Charges state that investigators tracked Perez’s phone and reviewed surveillance video from the area.
Footage showed a man coming and going from a nearby apartment, where Omar Andrew Ramos Castro was later arrested on June 4.
Ramos Castro initially told investigators, through a translator, that he had only met Perez once and did not know his name. After being shown evidence of frequent communication, he admitted they had spoken often about construction jobs and socializing, but said he blocked Perez due to excessive calls.
Charges state that he reportedly told investigators he never saw Perez on May 24, and only sent the pin so that Perez would know his location.
However, after being confronted with phone records, GPS data and surveillance video placing him at the scene, Ramos Castro admitted to stabbing Perez, claiming Perez repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances toward him.
Ramos Castro told investigators he was angry and felt he had to defend himself, according to charges.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released any further details about any altercation leading up to the fatal stabbing.
The Source: Information provided by charges filed in Ramsey County and the St. Paul Police Department.