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Man Charged With Murdering 64-Year-Old Roommate In El Monte Mobile Home Park

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – A 22-year-old man has been charged with murdering his roommate, a 64-year-old woman, and dragging her body to a dumpster at an El Monte mobile home park Tuesday.

Man Charged With Murdering 64-Year-Old Roommate In El Monte Mobile Home Park
Security video shows a barefoot man pushing a bin toward a set of dumpsters at a mobile home park in El Monte, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2020. The bin is believed to have contained the body of 64-year-old Florinda Velasquez-Hernandez. A 22-year-old man has been arrested on murder charges in her death. (courtesy video)

David Lemus-Orellana was taken into custody on murder charges in the slaying of Florinda Velasquez-Hernandez, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning, El Monte police were called to a report of a man dragging a body towards a set of dumpsters in the 3300 block of Maxson Road. Velasquez-Hernandez's body was later found by officers inside one of the dumpsters.

Security footage showed what neighbors said was a barefoot man pushing a bin that held the victim's body.

Lemus-Orellana was arrested later Tuesday.

Velasquez-Hernandez's family told CBS2 that she had emigrated from El Salvador about three years ago and lived in a trailer in the mobile home park with at least two men. They said she rented a room there.

A motive for the murder is not known. Velasquez-Hernandez's cause of death was also not released.

Lemus-Orellana is being held on $1 million bail.

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