TOOELE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — The third, and presumably last, suspect has been arrested in connection to the dead body found by I-80 in Tooele County, according to court documents.
Johnnie Marie Estrada, 51, is the last of the three people who were allegedly present at the time Anthony Bracamonte, 30, of Ogden was killed. Estrada is the mother of Alejandro “Alex” Moore, who has been arrested on a murder charge in the death of Bracamonte. Estrada has been arrested on four counts of obstruction of justice charges.
Bracamonte was found dead by westbound I-80 near milepost 93 on Feb. 15. According to the affidavit, troopers and Utah State Bureau of Investigation agents visited Bracamonte’s home in Ogden and spoke with his partner who said the last time she saw him was on Feb. 11.
That day, Bracamonte allegedly had a fight with his partner and left with Moore to get drinks. When they returned to the residence with another man, later identified as David Tennis, Bracamonte was reportedly intoxicated and “tore up” the home. Bracamonte then reportedly left with Moore, Tennis, and Moore’s mom, Estrada, to go to Wendover.
On Feb. 27, after Tennis and Moore had both been arrested, police said Estrada came to them saying that authorities were looking for her and she wanted to talk to them. She reportedly told police that Bracamonte had tried to kiss her on the way to Wendover when her son, Moore, stopped the vehicle and told Bracamonte to get out.
Estrada allegedly said Bracamonte had grabbed Moore’s gun and exited the car. Police say she told them she put her head down in the car and heard shots.
She then reportedly said Moore returned to the car, and the three of them drove to get breakfast. “She said they were quiet in the car after the shooting but later said that they had discussed not saying anything to police,” the affidavit read.
She also allegedly said she went to Walmart to buy clothes for them so they could throw away their clothes to bury the evidence and tried to make sure they all had the same story.
When interviewed previously by authorities, Moore allegedly said that Bracamonte had attempted to kiss his mother during the drive to Wendover. He then said he pulled over and told Bracamonte to leave the vehicle and left him there. He also reportedly told police that his gun was stolen after the last time he saw Bracamonte.
Police say Tennis, however, told a different story. He reportedly said Bracamonte had tried to open his side of the door after getting out of the vehicle, so he exited the vehicle and had a physical fight with Bracamonte on I-80. Tennis told police he then heard Moore’s mother say something like “Get out of the way” before Moore shot Bracamonte multiple times.
Tennis added that Moore shot Bracamonte again after he had collapsed by the road. Following that, the three drove down I-80 and threw Bracamonte’s phone out of the car. Moore and his mother allegedly told Tennis they needed to stick to one story, which was that they left Bracamonte on the side of the freeway, and he must have taken a gun from the glove box.
Estrada is currently booked in the Tooele County Jail on the charges previously listed.