CRIME
Two men arrested in connection to body found on I-80 in Tooele County
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — A Utah man is in police custody for allegedly killing the man whose body was found on Interstate 80 in Tooele County.
On Saturday, 30-year-old Alejandro Manuel Moore was booked into the Washington County Jail for a first-degree felony charge of murder, while 32-year-old David Tenis was booked for second-degree felony obstruction of justice in the Tooele County Jail, according to the affidavits.
On Feb. 15, police found a body, which a medical examiner later identified as the remains of Anthony Bracamonte, on I-80 in Tooele County near milepost 93.
According to the affidavit, Bracamonte had multiple bullet wounds with 12 spent shell casings separated into two groups nearby. Police also found two T-shirts with store tags between the body and the road.
After identifying Bracamonte, police went to his home in Ogden, Utah, to speak to a “cohabitant,” a woman who had a 1-year-old child with him. According to the affidavit, the woman told police she had last seen Bracamonte on Feb. 11 when they argued about him texting another woman.
“According to her (Bracamonte) left with his friend Alex, later identified as Moore, to get a bottle of alcohol,” states the affidavit. She said Bracamonte returned intoxicated with Moore and an unidentified man, later identified as Tenis, and he began to tear up their home.
According to the affidavit, a neighbor called the police to report the disturbance, and Bracamonte began to leave with his wallet and phone with the two men. Ogden police officers responded to the call and found Bracamonte quickly leaving the scene in an orange Dodge Dart.
When police told the woman about finding Bracamonte’s body, she said that Moore told her they were heading to West Wendover, Nevada, that night.
According to the affidavit, Moore returned to Bracamonte’s home on Feb. 12, claiming that Bracamonte was “acting crazy,” sexually assaulted his mother while in the car. There was also an argument about wanting “hot food” while heading to Wendover.
Moore told the woman that Bracamonte got out of the car on the side of the freeway, and he left him there. He also said he was missing the gun that he kept in his car.
According to the affidavit, another witness who knew Bracamonte and Moore told police that the two would often drink alcohol together and would “fight somewhat violently, wrestling on the ground but would make up.”
The witness told police that Moore owned several firearms and would often carry a gun on him that he would fire in the air outside of Bracamonte’s home.
Police received Moore’s cell phone number and attempted to contact him several times, but couldn’t find him.
According to the affidavit, police went to the West Valley City store where the T-shirts were purchased and reviewed security footage of the day the men left for Wendover. Police found footage of Moore, Bracamonte and Tenis purchasing the T-shirts at approximately 1 p.m.
During the investigation, a store clerk at a Mini Mart in Ogden contacted police, saying he had found Bracamonte’s wallet. The clerk told police that Bracamonte visited the store often and was similar to him.
According to the affidavit, police reviewed security footage showing that Bracamonte visited the store twice on Feb. 11.
At approximately 3 p.m., Bracamonte visited the store to fill his car with gas with the woman and left without further incident.
Bracamonte returned to the store at approximately 6 p.m. in an orange Dodge Dart and was “stumbling, dropping money, and running into objects.” Bracamonte purchased a case of beer with Tenis while Moore remained in the car. They left soon afterward.
Police began to search nearby surveillance footage of the orange Dodge Dart, finding it visited a nearby restaurant after leaving the Mini Mart.
According to the affidavit, police executed a search warrant on Moore’s phone, confirming he was at the Mini Mart, Bracamonte’s apartment, and in the area where Bracamonte’s body was found.
On Saturday, state troopers found the orange Dodge Dart traveling southbound on Interstate 15 in Washington County and contacted St. George police.
According to the affidavit, St. George police officers approached Moore while he was at a service station and told him that a detective would like to talk to him. Moore cooperated with the officers and went to the Washington police station.
In an interview, Moore told police that after Bracamonte began to break things in his apartment and fled from the police, they went to his home and planned to go to Wendover with his mom.
According to the affidavit, Moore said Bracamonte attempted to kiss his mother. He told Bracamonte to get out of the car near a “Love’s truck stop” on I-80 near state Route 201 and left him there. Moore then drove his mother home and then looked for Bracamonte until approximately 6 a.m.
Moore told police that his Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun was stolen after he saw Bracamonte that night, and his phone was having trouble forcing him to reset his phone.
“When told that (Bracamonte) was found dead, (Moore) asked how (the woman) and (Bracamonte’s) child was. (Moore) did not seemed surprised,” according to the affidavit.
Moore then told police that “it was my gun that killed him” and he “was done.” He was placed under arrest for murder and was read his Miranda rights.
“(Moore) did not answer questions but stated that it was crazy. (Moore) said, ‘Don’t trust anyone,'” according to the affidavit.
Police soon found Tenis in Tooele County, who told them that Moore and Bracamonte began fighting on the side of I-80 after Bracamonte became aggressive and fought against them while in the car to Wendover.
According to the affidavit, Tenis said that Moore shot Bracamonte about five times, and after Bracamonte fell over, Moore shot him another five times.
“Tenis recalled that they drove down I-80 throwing (Moore’s) phone and the gun out of the car,” according to the affidavits. “During the drive back to Woods Cross, (Tenis) stated he was told by (Moore) and (Moore’s) mom that they had to stick with the story that they had left (Bracamonte) on the side of I-80…”
Tenis told police that Moore and his mother agreed to keep with the story of Bracamonte making sexual advancements towards Moore’s mother and the gun was taken from Moore’s car.
According to the affidavit, Tenis said that he went with Moore and his mother to dispose of the broken-down gun used to shoot Bracamonte and the clothes they wore during the shooting.
Before the shooting, Tenis was unaware of an intent to kill Bracamonte, but he now believed that Moore and his mother had intended to kill Bracamonte.
Arresting documents did not say if Moore’s mother was arrested in connection with this shooting or her name.
