Woman who forced her murdered cousin's boyfriend to wear wig and dress when dumping body rats out 3rd suspect: DA

Background: The home in Riverview, Fla., where Hiojaira Mercedes Velez-Bonilla was allegedly murdered (WTVT). Insets (left to right): Andre Gerhardt and Giselle Santiago-Bonilla (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department).

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the 2025 murder of a Florida woman, days after another suspect entered a plea.

Giselle Santiago-Bonilla, 38, pleaded guilty in February to accessory after the fact, tampering with a witness, tampering with evidence, and unlawfully moving a dead body, all charges in connection with the stabbing death of her cousin, 41-year-old Hiojaira Mercedes Velez-Bonilla. As Law&Crime previously reported, Velez-Bonilla was allegedly stabbed to death by Santiago-Bonilla's boyfriend, 43-year-old Arnaldo Cintron, after an argument over bills and household chores.

Police said Velez-Bonilla's boyfriend, 30-year-old Elga Davis II, tried to run, but Santiago-Bonilla blocked him from leaving. After Velez-Bonilla was dead, the other couple allegedly forced Davis to put on her wig and wear her dress while he disposed of her body.

On Feb. 26, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced that a third suspect, 33-year-old Andre Gerhardt, was arrested in connection with the case. In court documents reviewed by Law&Crime, Gerhardt was previously identified only as "Tarzan," the man who allegedly helped Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla figure out how to dispose of Velez-Bonilla's body. Gerhardt was charged with unlawfully moving a dead body, carrying a concealed weapon as a felon, accessory after the fact, and burglary.

According to Law&Crime's previous coverage, Davis testified at a pretrial detention hearing for Cintron, who has been charged with first-degree murder, unlawfully moving a dead body, tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness. Davis told the court at the time that Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla said unless he helped them clean up the scene, he "was next."

After the three of them spent around four hours cleaning up the scene, Velez-Bonilla's body was stuffed into a cardboard box that was wrapped in black mesh. Davis testified that he "just did as [he] was told" when he forced his girlfriend's body to fit into the box.

Fearing for his life, he then complied with the demand by Cintron and Santiago-Bonilla to wear one of his dead girlfriend's wigs and one of her long dresses while he drove them all and the body to the apartment of a man known as "Tarzan."

More from Law&Crime: 'I just did what I was told': Man forced to wear murdered girlfriend's clothing, wig details how suspect allegedly made him stuff body in box to 'make it fit'

Before formalizing her plea deal, Santiago-Bonilla identified Gerhardt as "Tarzan" and confirmed that he assisted in disposing of Velez-Bonilla's body, according to court documents. Gerhardt told police after he was arrested on Feb. 24 that he assisted in helping Cintron, Santiago-Bonilla, and Davis remove the box containing the body from the car and drag it out into the mangroves. Police said he knew what was inside the box, and he admitted that he never contacted law enforcement.

Cintron remains in custody at the Falkenburg Road Jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 18, the same day Gerhardt is scheduled to appear in court.

Santiago-Bonilla is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29.