Man arrested in friend’s hammer bludgeon death
Police announced Friday the arrest of a man who allegedly bludgeoned his friend with a hammer in Boyle Heights, dumped the body in the trash and fled to Nevada last month.
A $50,000 reward for information and an anonymous tip led to the Nov. 28 arrest of Adam Quintana, 19, in Las Vegas, authorities said.
Las Vegas police arrested Quintana at a location where he was believed to have been staying with acquaintances. He was returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday and booked on suspicion of murder.
The victim, Fernando Garcia, 21, went on Nov. 17 to a converted garage where Quintana was staying in the 200 block of Breed Street in Boyle Heights, said Det. Jacob Dugger of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The reason for the killing is unclear, but detectives said Quintana allegedly began beating and eventually killed Garcia with a hammer. The body was wrapped in blankets and left in a plastic trash bin at the residence, Dugger said. A bloody hammer was found on a dresser in the converted garage.
“There was a lot of cleanup, but it lacked in cover-up,” Dugger said.
Quintana was arraigned Friday morning, and his bail was set at about $1 million.
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