EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A 41-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder after authorities found a body in a dumpster fire in Central El Paso on Friday night.
According to the El Paso Police Department, Heriberto Chavez has been identified as the prime suspect in a murder after authorities found a dead man at the 900 block of N. Florence (behind the Kelly Center for Hunger Relief) after fire crews extinguished a dumpster fire.
Detectives with EPPD’s Crimes Against Persons unit took over the investigation after the body was found and determined the death was “suspicious in nature.”
RELATED: UPDATE: Police investigate death after body found in Central El Paso dumpster fire
In police documents obtained by KFOX14/CBS4, investigators reveal that Chavez was identified as the suspect after he was seen in surveillance video allegedly beating the victim and setting him on fire before leaving the scene, but forgetting his cellphone by the dumpster.
Investigators described watching surveillance video that appears to show Chavez on his cellphone and walking towards the victim, who was lying down by the dumpster.
After the two shared an interaction, investigators said Chavez then allegedly placed his cellphone on the side railing/edge of the dumpster before he proceeded to punch, kick, and stomp the victim for several minutes.
Investigators said Chavez then allegedly pulled out a piece of cardboard from the dumpster, covered the victim with it and then set it on fire, adding more trash from the dumpster to fuel the flames.
According to police documents, Chavez then reportedly left the scene, leaving his cellphone behind.
Investigators said that they found the cellphone inside the dumpster after it was knocked down into the trash when firefighters extinguished the fire.
Chavez was arrested a couple of days later, on Sunday, after investigators were in the area and stopped him and two other suspects because of an “open alcohol container.”
When investigators asked Chavez for his information, including his phone number, he told them he had lost his phone but gave them his number– which turned out to be the same number as the phone found in the dumpster.
Furthermore, investigators said Chavez also had injuries to his hands and confirmed he was wearing the same clothes as it was seen in the surveillance video
On Sunday, Chavez was identified as the suspect and was booked into the El Paso County Downtown Jail.
In a bond hearing held on Monday, Chavez’s bond was set at $1 million.
According to police statistics, this is the 6th murder of 2026, compared to 11 at the same time last year.
RECOMMENDED: El Paso man arrested on animal cruelty charges after dogs discovered in poor conditions
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.