NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Officials have arrested and charged a man with first-degree murder after a body was found inside a trash can in Montgomery County on Monday.
Around 7 p.m., a man saw a trash can in the brush just off the Schuylkill River Trail and noticed a foul odor coming from it. He then opened the trash can, found what he thought was a person’s leg, and called 911.
Upon arrival, officers found bicycle parts scattered around the area where the body of Oscar Traviezo-Tercero was found. An autopsy later revealed that Traviezo-Tercero had numerous skull fractures on the back of his skull. The cause of death, ruled a homicide, was blunt force trauma to the head.
Police said about a week prior, they spoke with Traviezo-Tercero, who was sleeping in the car wash at Global Gas on Main Street in Norristown, about trying to protect a woman, who officials say was the girlfriend of 46-year-old Felix Santos-Colon Jr., the man charged in connection with his murder.
The girlfriend left the car wash before police arrived.
Police say Traviezo-Tercero was last seen alive on Nov. 4. A day later, surveillance video showed Santos-Colon Jr. leave Global Gas with a Horizon trash can. Bicycle parts and other items were visibly sticking out of the top of the can. With him was a man on a bicycle. As the two approached the river trail, the man on the bike got off and helped Santos-Colon Jr. push the trash can up a hill. Once they got it up, the man on the bike took off westbound on the trail and bought a beer at a shop on Main Street before returning to Global Gas.
Santos-Colon was arrested on Nov. 15. He was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime. He was denied bail, as there is no bail available for first-degree murder.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21.