True Crime with Kendall Rae - Savanah Soto & Matthew Guerra Murdered Days Before Becoming Parents…

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

Savanah and Fabian were finally laid to rest. If you're interested, you can learn more about their service here: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/sava...  On the night of December 21st, 2023, 18-yea...r-old Savanah Soto and 22-year-old Matthew Guerra left their apartment in Texas to sell marijuana to 19-year-old Christopher Preciado unbeknownst to their families. Then, two days later Savanah missed her appointment to be induced into labor. She and her boyfriend Matthew were expecting their first child together, a son, named Fabian. Their families reported them missing and a CLEAR alert was issued. Sadly, just 3 days later their bodies were found dead in Matthew’s car. Thanks to surveillance footage, San Antonio police detectives were able to determine 3 persons of interest. On January 3rd, 2024, 2 suspects were arrested. 19-year-old Christopher Preciado and his father Ramon Preciado. Then, a week after their arrests, a third arrest was made. Christopher’s stepmother, Myrta Romanos was also arrested and charged for her involvement in concealing the murders. More information is expected to come out in the coming weeks. Donate to NCMEC through my campaign! https://give.missingkids.org/campaign...  Shop my Merch! https://kendallrae.shop This episode is sponsored by: Rocket Money Apostrophe - promo code: KENDALLRAE Smalls - promo code: KENDALLRAE Check out Kendall's other podcasts: The Sesh & Mile Higher Follow Kendall! YouTube Twitter Instagram Facebook Mile Higher Zoo REQUESTS: General case suggestion form: https://bit.ly/32kwPly Form for people directly related/ close to the victim: https://bit.ly/3KqMZLj Discord: https://discord.com/invite/an4stY9BCN CONTACT: For Business Inquiries - kendall@INFAgency.com

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Starting point is 00:00:00 I'm hiring, but where can I find potential candidates? Hundreds of thousands of Canadians with disabilities are ready and eager to work. Help create an inclusive workplace that benefits everyone. Find the tools and resources to help you hire persons with disabilities at Canada.ca. A message from the Government of Canada. Hello everyone and welcome back to True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thanks so much for joining me today as we discuss another case. And if you are new, then welcome. So glad to have you and be sure to subscribe. So before I start today's case,
Starting point is 00:00:46 there are several things that I want to say just to prepare you for what you're about to listen to because this one is very difficult. I have gotten endless requests to talk about this case, just on social media through my case request forms, both members and just my general form as well. through my case request forms, both members and just my general form as well. And I waited to cover it for a reason because this one has been absolutely riddled with false information and a lot of salacious coverage, even false information coming from large news outlets, which has been very hard to dig through. This is an active and ongoing case. There have been some major developments,
Starting point is 00:01:27 but it is quite possible that there will be some updates before this video goes live. And if that's the case, I will obviously pin a comment or put it in the description box so you're aware. And next, before we get into things, I wanna issue a very large trigger warning that this case is extremely upsetting. And we're to be talking about a lot of very difficult things
Starting point is 00:01:49 including drug dealing, domestic violence, the death of an unborn child and then the case in general is also just very violent. And also when looking into this case and seeing how the public has reacted, especially online, it has become very clear to me that people are very angry with the victims in this case because the way that they put their unborn child at risk. And I completely understand what those people are saying. I think there is a way to point something like that out in a way that's not more hurtful to this family
Starting point is 00:02:24 who is already suffering with the loss of these two young people and this child who never even got the chance to start their life. And of course, you guys are completely entitled to your own opinions about this and I certainly have some opinions of my own, I won't lie. However, I just want you to keep in mind that when you leave a comment on any
Starting point is 00:02:46 public forum, the family members who are hurting and grieving these losses could read these comments and could make things even worse for them or be triggering to them. So I always like to just put that out there, just a reminder that these are real people with real lives. And later in this episode, you are going to hear a clip of Matthew's father saying that he doesn't condone his son's action, but it doesn't make his murder okay. And I think his statement there is important to keep in mind. I guarantee that the details of this case are going to upset you and anger you. And those opinions and feelings are totally valid. However, at the end of the day, these people were murdered
Starting point is 00:03:31 and nothing that they did justifies what happens to them. And on that note, I wanna say that although I will be explaining some details of their relationship, this is not gonna be some salacious expose because it is not helpful and it is not necessary. Savannah's family has opened up about some of the abuse that she endured during her life and I plan on sharing only as much information as they felt comfortable sharing with the media plus a few additional key facts. I'm certainly not going to hide some of the darker details that need to be shared for
Starting point is 00:04:06 the sake of transparency and for understanding the case, but I'm not going to be getting into the weeds here. And if you are looking for that, there are plenty of online communities that have dug into all those details and are sharing personal information. And you know, that's their right to do so. I'm just not going to partake in that. There are several different people covering this case and media sources that go more into those things
Starting point is 00:04:31 if you are looking for more information and want to learn more that is available to you. It's just not gonna be here. I've chosen to focus on the murder of these three people and one of them who never even got a chance at life. So in advance, I appreciate your understanding and patience with how I have chosen to cover this case. And I hope you can respect my decision there.
Starting point is 00:04:51 So we're gonna be talking about Savannah Soto and Matthew Guerra. Savannah Nicole Soto was born on August 22nd, 2005, and her boyfriend Matthew Gabriel Guerra was born on October 26th, 2001, and they were both born in San Antonio, Texas. And because this case is still so fresh, there isn't that much information out there
Starting point is 00:05:13 available on their earlier lives, which I normally do like to include and give you the opportunity to know these victims as much as possible. However, that's just not an option here. That being said, I can say that both Savannah and Matthew came from families who truly loved them. So last year, I started using Rocket Money and it was a huge game changer for me. I had no idea how many subscriptions I actually had. I found out that I had way more than I needed
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Starting point is 00:06:02 And if you had asked me that question before I started using Rocket Money, I probably would have said yes, but let me that question before I started using RocketMoney, I probably would have said yes, but let me tell you I would have been so wrong. RocketMoney is a game changer, so let me tell you about it. It's a personal finance app that finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps to lower your bills. Now I can see all my subscriptions in one place, and if I see anything I don't want
Starting point is 00:06:22 anymore, I can cancel it with a tap. It's that easy. I never have to get on the phone with customer service or beg them to cancel. I hate how they sometimes give you the run around and make it so difficult to just cancel a subscription. Plus, they'll even try to get you a refund for the last couple months of wasted money and negotiate to lower your bills for you as well by up to 20%. And all you have to do is take a picture of your bill and Rocket Money just takes care of the rest.
Starting point is 00:06:46 Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has helped save its members an average of $720 a year with over 500 million in canceled subscriptions. It's so, so awesome. So stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to rocketmoney.com slash Kendall Ray. That's rocketmoney.com slash Kendall Ray. Rocketmoney.com slash Kendall Ray. That's rocketmoney.com slash Kendall Ray, rocketmoney.com slash Kendall Ray. They both stayed in the greater San Antonio area,
Starting point is 00:07:13 and they actually met when Matthew was 19 and Savannah was only 15. Savannah's mom, Gloria Cordova, has been really outspoken about her love for her daughter and her unborn grandchild. And that can definitely be said about Matthew's father, Gabriel as well. However, their relationship was definitely toxic
Starting point is 00:07:34 and it has caused their family a lot of grief, which brings us back to Christmas of 2022. Literally on Christmas Day, 2022, Matthew assaulted Savannah and was arrested and put on probation. However, his probation did allow him to still have contact with Savannah as long as it wasn't harmful or injurious. And it was scheduled to last through June of 2024. But then Matthew ended up being arrested again on unrelated charges and because of that his probation was extended through February of 2025.
Starting point is 00:08:10 And recently Gloria shared that she was worried about her daughter and wanted her to get out of this relationship but that she wouldn't listen. And to be clear, those words are coming from Gloria and it's not my job here to speculate on their relationship or why she didn't leave. Although I imagine that when she became pregnant, her options probably felt pretty limited. So when they were 18 and 22, Savannah and Matthew were living together in an apartment in Leon Valley and were excitedly awaiting the birth of their son, Fabian, in mid-December of 2023.
Starting point is 00:08:44 A baby shower was thrown for the two of them and, Fabian, in mid-December of 2023. A baby shower was thrown for the two of them, and Matthew's dad Gabriel said that his son was so excited that they had to remind him to let Savannah open some of the gifts. They said he was so eager that he was just opening presents left and right. And even though their relationship was definitely troubled, they looked happy for what was to come and they deserved a chance to do right by their baby. And that all, including their baby, was stolen from them. Now I mentioned a second ago that Savannah was supposed to give birth sometime in mid-December,
Starting point is 00:09:18 however babies come when they come. And by the time her due date came and went, Fabian still hadn't come. So an appointment was scheduled for Savannah to be induced on December 23rd, 2023. So very recently. But when that day came, both of their families became very concerned because they got the sense that something was wrong when neither of them were answering calls and texts. Gloria says that when she couldn't get ahold of her daughter, she went right to her apartment and knocked and knocked and knocked on her door
Starting point is 00:09:51 and got no answer. And when she wasn't answering the door or replying to anything, she tried to actually go to the hospital to see if maybe they had checked in already. But unfortunately they hadn't and the appointment for Savannah to be induced came and went, and they had never showed up. And so obviously, Gloria knew something had to be wrong here,
Starting point is 00:10:10 especially under these circumstances, so she immediately calls 911 and files a missing persons report, and Matthew's father tells a pretty similar story. Gabriel and his wife, Raquel, said that they really started to panic around 2 to 2.30pm when they hadn't heard from Matthew. This is approximately when they called 911 and they immediately rushed over to their apartment as well to see if maybe they were there and they could hopefully get in touch with them. Gabriel said that nobody answered the door and so he decided to kick it down himself
Starting point is 00:10:42 and go inside and when he did the apartment was completely Undisturbed and so at first glance he thought Everything seemed okay in the apartment. Obviously. He's still very concerned at this point But then he noticed that there was a candle that was still lit and that Fabian's diaper bag was just sitting there And that's when the alarm bells really started going off because he just knows that they're not gonna leave a candle lit and they're certainly not going to leave for the hospital to be induced without Fabian's diaper bag. Now I wanna clarify because I'm sure this stuck out to you
Starting point is 00:11:15 that the reporting around the 911 calls is pretty unclear at this point. I just explained how both families went to the apartment, became suspicious, became concerned, and both of them called 911 and made missing persons reports. Now, all of that is true, but it's a bit confusing here
Starting point is 00:11:34 if there was any communication with each other or if they had connected on their suspicions, which I'm assuming they likely did, but the reporting has been kind of all over the place, and it's just not entirely clear. I'm not sure if Matthew's family knew that Savannah's family had already called 911 and vice versa.
Starting point is 00:11:55 But what I do know is that each family was routed to a different police department when they called 911, which may have played a factor into how the official report was received, but I don't think that's honestly a detail getting hung up over. I think what does matter here is that both of these families were very concerned right away and both took steps to notify the authorities that they were missing. An official press release did come from the Leon Valley Police Department, and it does
Starting point is 00:12:23 say that it was Savannah's family who filed the missing person's report. But again, I don't think this specific details really worth fixating on at this point. What is worth fixating on is how the police initially handled these missing person's reports. Because after Leon Valley officers responded to these reports and conducted a welfare check on their apartment, they said that nothing seemed suspicious. In fact, on Christmas Eve, December 24th, they specifically stated that there was no cause for concern. Matthew's dad was told that Savannah and Matthew were adults, and if they wanted to leave, they could. But in his mind and in everyone else's mind, I assume, this makes absolutely no sense.
Starting point is 00:13:10 Their baby was coming. Savannah was supposed to be induced the day before. Why would they just up and leave without telling anyone? And the answer is they wouldn't. And luckily investigators, it didn't take them long to get on board and realize that there is a cause for concern here.
Starting point is 00:13:28 So finally on Christmas Day, a clear alert was issued. Now if you don't know what a clear alert is, clear stands for coordinated law enforcement adult response and is essentially an amber alert for missing adults. It has its own set of criteria of which Savannah and Matthew definitely met and investigation into their disappearances began. First at 10, the search for a pregnant San Antonio teen. Leon Valley police are searching for 18 year old Savannah Nicole Soto.
Starting point is 00:14:00 Her mother says she was a week past her due date and set to be induced last night, but never showed up to the hospital. Mommy, please come home. No one's going to judge you. No one's going to say nothing to you. I just want you to be home. And Bannon was just so, so happy because you're going to be a mommy. It breaks my heart. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
Starting point is 00:14:26 I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
Starting point is 00:14:42 I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.'t at her apartment. Her phone appeared dead. When we got to the hospital, they said that she wasn't there. She filed a police report with Leon Valley Police. She says something seemed off and they couldn't get ahold of her boyfriend either. We don't even know what happened. I mean, it could be anything. And it's just such an extra sad layer here that it is now Christmas day. And these families are left agonizing over where their children are
Starting point is 00:15:11 and where their unborn grandchild is and trying to coordinate search efforts. We're entitled to know something about her. We love her, we miss her, whatever's going on, let her come home so we can have a Merry Christmas with her. Family says the 18 year old mother to be hasn't been heard from since Friday, the day before she was set to be induced. I just need to know that she's okay. Savannah's mother, Gloria Cordova, put out a desperate plea for information about her daughter
Starting point is 00:15:39 and filed a police report with Leon Valley over the weekend. Cordova says since last speaking to her daughter, there's been no contact with Savannah. I just want her home. I'm worried about the baby. If she's even had a baby. Gloria says she believes Savannah is in trouble. No reason why she would just get up and go off and do that.
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Starting point is 00:17:57 And that's a lot of the times the way it goes. But from the moment that they went missing, Matthew's father had been adamant that no matter how many problems they had in the past, that his son could not be responsible for their disappearances. And that would end up being true. On December 26th, someone living on Danny K Drive in San Antonio reached out to Savannah's family saying that they believed Matthew's Kia Optima, which people were told to look out for, was parked outside their apartment complex.
Starting point is 00:18:27 And hearing this, her family notified the Leon Valley police, and once they arrived, it wasn't long before the gruesome discovery was made. Knowing that they'd found Savannah and Matthew, officers with the LVPD, then quickly reached out to the San Antonio Police Department for assistance, but they couldn't jump into action right away. At the scene, investigators had to wait for a judge to sign a search warrant in order to enter the car. So in the meantime, they gathered information
Starting point is 00:18:54 from family members and told them the devastating news of what they knew they would find inside the vehicle. And although it had yet to be confirmed to the public at this point, there was no doubting what this crime scene meant. The search for Savannah Soto and her boyfriend had yet to be confirmed to the public at this point, there was no doubting what this crime scene meant. The search for Savannah Soto and her boyfriend has come to a tragic end. San Antonio police believe Savannah and her boyfriend are the two people found dead in 2013 Kia Optima at a Northwest Side apartment complex. I'm just, my heart is broken right now. And nothing that we're going to replace her. We first introduced you to Rachel Soto last night. Her pleas were simple to help bring her pregnant granddaughter Savannah Soto home. Family has been looking for the 18 year old since
Starting point is 00:19:36 Saturday when she didn't show up to be induced. Less than 24 hours later, Rachel's pleas are now for you to remember her granddaughter for who she was. She was a good girl. She loves sports. She played basketball. hours later, Rachel's ple remember her granddaughter was. She was a good girl. big basketball with her b heart. She was beautiful the warrant was granted an access to the car. More h
Starting point is 00:20:02 came to light. Inside the Kia Optima, Savannah's body was found sitting in the passenger seat with baby Fabian's car seat positioned on her lap. As for Matthew, he was found in the back seat of the vehicle and both of them had gunshot wounds to the backs of their heads, specifically behind their ears. Matthew's was a contact wound, meaning the barrel of the gun was placed directly to his skull.
Starting point is 00:20:26 And he is also said to have had drag marks on his body. Investigators also uncovered shell casings inside the car, but there was no murder weapon at the scene. Later on that night, Chief McManus did a press conference and he described the crime scene as perplexing. And I really cannot even imagine the horrors of what they had to see. What I'm about to tell you is preliminary information
Starting point is 00:20:51 and could change, quite possibly will change as detectives get further into the investigation. And what we're looking at right now, I think everybody knows the background on this so I won't go into it. But what we're looking at right now is a very, very perplexing crime scene. Now, according to the affidavit,
Starting point is 00:21:09 which was issued later on, we learned a few more details about the crime scene that I'm going to go over, starting with the fact that there was blood transfer on the outside of the vehicle that was inconsistent with Matthew causing harm to Savannah. So with that being said, any concern that this was a murder suicide
Starting point is 00:21:28 was quickly laid to rest. And like I explained earlier, any rumors that there were going around that Matthew was responsible for what happened was also quashed with this information. Not to mention the fact that the manner of death was now officially ruled as homicide for both of them, and investigators also publicly stated that Matthew was not
Starting point is 00:21:50 a suspect, and I will get more into that shortly. And we also learned from this affidavit that investigators believed Savannah and Matthew were not killed at the location that their bodies were found. If Matthew had drag marks on his body and there was a blood transfer on the outside of the car, that likely means that someone pulled him from the front driver's seat and put his body in the back seat, which also means that someone moved his body
Starting point is 00:22:18 to the back seat so that they could get into the driver's seat and move the vehicle to where they wanted it to be. Now, jumping back into the timeline, media coverage began reporting that the bodies had been discovered, but it's important to note that they weren't officially identified by a coroner until December 28th, which is two days after the discovery. And it was then, and only then, that the case was classified as a capital murder investigation. Continuing coverage this morning, police are investigating the deaths of a pregnant woman,
Starting point is 00:22:48 her boyfriend and their unborn child near San Antonio. On Tuesday, police found the bodies of Savannah Soto and Matthew Gitta outside of an apartment complex. They now say they died of gunshot wounds. Soto's family reported her missing since Friday. Detectives are treating the case as a possible capital murder investigation. It's still unclear what led up to their deaths and the family of the victims.
Starting point is 00:23:11 They want answers. We all do need answers and that's never going to change because nothing in this world is ever going to bring them back. I just want answers to who, what, and why, why this happened to her. Now, December 28th was a huge day for this case because not only was this now considered a capital murder investigation, but also because surveillance footage was released and what it shows will shock you.
Starting point is 00:23:40 And for those of you who are just listening to this episode, I'm gonna do my best to describe the video to you, although you can easily look it up for yourself. And for those of you who are watching, it'll be pretty easy to see what I'm talking about. In the footage, which was captured on December 21st around 11.59 p.m., a dark-colored Chevy Silverado is seen pulling up with its lights off to the backside of what is now known to be the apartment complex where the bodies were found. As it comes to a stop, Matthew's silver Kia Optima can then be seen pulling up from the opposite direction,
Starting point is 00:24:13 and the two cars are stopped side by side. There is about 3-5 feet of distance between them, and because they came in from different directions, the driver's side doors are facing one another. Then a heavyset man wearing a white tank top is seen exiting the Chevy Silverado and approaches the driver's side door of the Kia. A few seconds after what looks like two people talking to one another, the heavyset man turns back towards the truck.
Starting point is 00:24:38 And this is when something crucial happens. And if you're watching, look closely, but it appears as though a towel is thrown from the inside of the truck towards the large man. The man grabs the towel, then turns back to the Kia, and appears to wipe down parts of the car. And some of it isn't super visible, but it's believed that that is what he's doing. The man then gets back into the Chevy, and both cars then appear to leave in opposite directions, both with their lights off.
Starting point is 00:25:08 But after pulling away from one another, police say that the two cars then met back up on the other side of the apartment complex where the driver of the Kia Optima got into the Chevy and drove off together. And it's also extremely important to note that investigators believe that Matthew and Savannah were both deceased at this point inside the vehicle when this exchange happened. And like I said earlier, it's believed that they were killed at a different location and then brought to Danny K Drive as a dumping site. And if it wasn't already obvious, this footage and other key
Starting point is 00:25:46 evidence would be what ended up solving this case. So let's get into some of that other key evidence. I mentioned earlier that while they were at the crime scene on December 26th, investigators spoke with the families while they waited for a judge to sign that search warrant. And well, when speaking to Matthew's family, it became clear to detectives that Matthew was in fact involved in illegal activity. They learned that he sold narcotics and that he used his cell phone as a means for selling. And not just that, but he also often posted pictures
Starting point is 00:26:19 of him on Instagram with weapons, money and narcotics. And they learned from his family that he had been shot at before. And obviously, this information was very important for investigators to consider because it's a potential motive. Was this a drug-related killing? And the short answer is most likely yes. However, it is more complicated than that. So bear with me as I go through some of those key details
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Starting point is 00:28:30 for 50% off your first order. One last time, that's promo code Kendall Ray for 50% off your first order plus free shipping. Once investigators found out that Matthew did, in fact, deal drugs, they wanted to, course go through his cell phone. That seems like the obvious starting point right. See if there's any information in the phone that would indicate who could have done this to them. But the problem was Matthew's phone was not recovered at the scene. Luckily though, Savannah's cell phone was recovered and that gave them
Starting point is 00:29:05 the exact information they were looking for. Savannah's phone was sent to a detective in the technical investigations unit on January 2nd, 2024 and key information was recovered the following day. On January 3rd, it was revealed that Savannah searched an address on Charlie Chan Drive on Google Maps the day that she and Matthew were killed. And for context, Charlie Chan Drive is only a few blocks away from Danny K Drive, where their bodies were found and I'm talking less than a mile. To be even more specific, the victim's car,
Starting point is 00:29:38 which I'm assuming also had GPS data recovered, pinged near Charlie Chan Drive and Kerry Grant Drive at 11.50pm. It stayed at this location for four minutes and then at 11.54 it traveled to the location where the bodies were found. And if you remember that surveillance footage I played for you was taken at 11.59pm. So think about what a small time frame, what a small window of opportunity that is. And we already do know that investigators believe
Starting point is 00:30:07 that the victims were deceased when that footage was taken. So assuming that Savannah and Matthew were alive when they first got to that location, that leaves only four minutes between the time that they arrived and the time that they were killed. Four minutes, which means whatever they were doing and whoever they were meeting with near Charlie Chan drive at 11.50 PM had to be responsible for their murders.
Starting point is 00:30:33 And making that connection was pretty easy for investigators. It turns out that the address that Savannah searched on Charlie Chan drive was home to none other than a Chevy Silverado. And not just that, a Chevy Silverado whose registered vehicle owner matched the description of the heavy-set man seen on surveillance footage. So all investigators had to do was stake out the location, see the Chevy, and the connection was made right in front of them. But it doesn't stop there. That same day, January 3rd, investigators walked up to the door and when it was opened,
Starting point is 00:31:11 the man on surveillance footage was standing right in front of them. His name is Ramon Preciado. And the first thing he said to investigators was that he knew why they were there. He knew why they were there. Let that sink in. Ramon said that he knew they needed to speak
Starting point is 00:31:28 with his son, Christopher Presciato. And they were then taken into police custody and brought in for questioning, of course. And while some officers escorted them to the station, others stayed behind to execute a search warrant at the residence. And in questioning Ramon cooperated fully, he admitted that he had driven his Chevy Silverado to Danny K Drive where he met up with his son Christopher and he
Starting point is 00:31:52 positively identified himself and his son in the surveillance footage. It appears at least based on the arrest affidavit that he gave up all information and And the same cannot be said, unfortunately, for Christopher. Now, he did admit to shooting Savannah and Matthew, but he said he did it in self-defense. He confirmed that Matthew and Savannah drove to his house on the night of December 21st to sell him weed. However, he said that Matthew was the one to pull a gun on him first. And he says that when that happened, he quote, manipulated the gun away from Matthew and in the process,
Starting point is 00:32:34 Savannah was shot. Then somehow in his version of events, the gun ends up back in Matthew's hand. When the same thing happens again, he manipulates the gun away from him and in the process, Matthew gets shot. And if this all sounds like a load of shit, that's because it is. Obviously investigators knew right away that his statement was false and that it was inconsistent with the condition of Matthew and Savannah's bodies. They were clearly executed. And thankfully, the person responsible is now behind bars. 19-year-old Christopher Presciato and 53-year-old Ramon Presciato were both arrested and charged in connection
Starting point is 00:33:15 with the murders of Savannah Soto, Matthew Guetta, and their unborn child. Now, Christopher was initially charged with capital murder and Ramon with the abuse of a corpse. Meantime across Texas two people have been arrested in connection with the deaths of a San Antonio soon-to-be mother and father. Police arrested 19 year old Christopher Preciado and his father Ramon Preciado earlier today. Christopher has been charged with capital murder and his father faces charges of abuse of a corpse for helping his son move the bodies.
Starting point is 00:33:49 Police believe Christopher Preciado killed 18-year-old Savannah Soto and her boyfriend 22-year-old Matthew Guerra. Through interrogating the individuals, the art detectives had enough, based on what they said, there was enough information there to get a warrant signed by a judge tonight, again, to charge Christopher with Capitol murder and Ramon with abuse of a corpse. So on January 4th, 2024, video was released of Christopher and Ramon's perp walks. And I specifically found Ramon's perp walks and I specifically found Ramon's perp walk to be pretty interesting.
Starting point is 00:34:29 Unlike Christopher, who walks silently past the media frenzy and into the back of a police car, Ramon talks back to reporters saying things like, always fake news. I just have to play it for you because it really is wild, especially for someone who is apparently so cooperative in questioning. I mean, it wasn't what I was expecting. Did you know she was pregnant? Uh-oh, she's pregnant.
Starting point is 00:34:52 Back car right there. This is your final shot at saying something about your side. Hey guys, we're going this way. Can you stand your ground? Can you stand your ground? Anything to say to your family? That guy's always one side. You know what's going on?
Starting point is 00:35:08 Pack up, guys. Pack up. Please don't push me. I'm not. I'm moving you this way. No, I'm not. Are you messages for the family? You sorry?
Starting point is 00:35:17 They want to know why. Why'd you do that? You're sorry? Did you do it? Why'd you do it? Why'd you do it? Did you know she was pregnant? That's what you say? Huh? You you do it? Why did she do it? Did you know she was pregnant? Nothing to say?
Starting point is 00:35:27 Huh? You didn't care? Why was it the whole family? Close to Christmas? You're morse? Anything? Why man? Any remorse? You sorry? Ain't you sorry for lying about what you're saying? You only know what's going on.
Starting point is 00:35:40 You tell us. You just made stuff up like where were you? Tell us. What's going on? Did you shoot them? Did you shoot them? What's going on? Tell us. You just made stuff up. Like, where were you? Tell us. What's going on? Did you shoot them? Did you shoot them? Are you an imbibe?
Starting point is 00:35:49 Did you kill them or did you just hide the evidence? Who killed Savannah? The madame. How did you know Savannah? She didn't guess. Who killed them? Was it retaliation? Who killed them?
Starting point is 00:35:59 You're sorry? Who killed them? If it wasn't you who wasn't then. Who killed them? Who killed them? Who killed them? Who killed them? Who killed them? Who killed them? Who killed them? If it wasn't you who wasn't that. And like I said, Christopher did walk silently to the police car, but he was hounded with the same questions as his father.
Starting point is 00:36:24 Both Christopher and Ramon are being held at the Bear County Jail. Ramon's bond is set at $600,000 while his son's bond is set at $2 million. And it doesn't end here because both of them were given additional charges. In addition to being charged with capital murder, Christopher is now being charged with abuse of a corpse as well as alter, destroy, and conceal a human corpse. And as for Ramon, in addition to being charged with abuse of a corpse, he is now facing the same charge of alter, destroy, and conceal a human corpse.
Starting point is 00:37:00 And before you guys ask, because I know that could be confusing, that is only referring to them moving their bodies after they were killed. And it does not appear that there was any additional assault to the victim's post-mortem. And I also wanted to note that because this occurred in the state of Texas, and because this is a capital murder charge, there is a possibility that Christopher will be facing the death penalty. Ramon Preciado and his son Christopher arrested last night for their alleged parts in the murders. But today, more charges have been filed against the father and son. Christopher Preciado charged with capital murder. Now two more
Starting point is 00:37:38 additional charges of abuse of a corpse and alter destroy, conceal a human corpse. His father Ramon is also charged with abuse of a corpse and alter destroy, conceal a human corpse. His father, Ramon is also charged with abuse of a corpse and the newly added charge of ultra destroy, conceal a human corpse. We're also for the very first time hearing from the family, Gata's father and stepmother. Speaking to case at today, Erica Nantes reports they're hoping for the full extent of punishment for both men. the his girlfriend Savannah Soto and their unborn child Fabian. That was definitely a relief of mine that, you know, I can hold someone accountable. I've been talking about justice for the three of them since it started. Gabriel and Raquel say neither of them know who Christopher and Ramon are.
Starting point is 00:38:36 According to the arrest affidavit, Matthew and Savannah met Christopher to allegedly sell the marijuana. We asked the guerrillas about that information after they had previously stated that Matthew was trying to turn his life around. the case. The case is being filed for the murder case. The case is being filed allegedly sell the marijuana. We asked the guy has about that information after they had previously stated that Matthew was trying to turn his
Starting point is 00:38:54 life around. Matthew was and hasn't made the best decisions. But you know, he. I make no excuses for him, but whatever he did, you know, I don't condone that at all. But that being said, like no one deserves regardless wha you're in or what you're to the district attorney' they want nothing less tha
Starting point is 00:39:11 Christopher Preciado. Now had said something about I'm going to hold him acc But before I talk more ab any further, I want to te about the victims' families here and how they've tried to cope with such devastating losses. And I want to start with Savannah's family. And one thing that I learned when looking into this case is that Savannah was not the
Starting point is 00:39:38 first person in her family to be murdered. Less than two years before Savannah was murdered, her 15 year old brother was also shot and killed. So that means between 2022 and 2023, Gloria lost both of her children to gun violence, as well as her soon to be grandson. On December 28th, a vigil was held at Kenwood Park where friends and family gathered
Starting point is 00:40:05 in Savannah and Fabian's honor. Their memorial was set up next to the tree where her family laid Ethan to rest just the year before. And at this point, it had only been two days since their bodies were found, and they still had so many unanswered questions. Savannah's grandmother, Rachel, helped release Doves in their honor and said that they should be ringing in the new year with a new grandson and instead they're having a vigil. God Almighty. A prayer. The Lord is close to the broken hearted to find peace. We just got to keep her in our hearts and a promise to never forget. She loved everybody. She loved to live life. The family of 18 year old Savannah Soto and her unborn child say devastation is an understatement after
Starting point is 00:40:50 both of their deaths. It will never be the same again. Please confirm Thursday. Soto and her boyfriend Matthew Guiera were shot and killed as Chief William Iqmanis gave an update. We were with the young girl's family, all of them heartbroken. I got him and I'm still trying to soak it all in. This family the community. The community was very excited to see the family. The community's friend, McManus, gave an update. We were with the young girls family. All of them heartbroken. I got my gun. I'm
Starting point is 00:41:12 still trying to soak it all there. This family says they're still in shock and still have so many questions left unanswered. But they say the San Antonio community has stepped up to support them. We should be having a vigil instead.
Starting point is 00:41:25 This park is a place of peace for the Soto family. Their son, Ethan Stree, is here. He was shot and killed some time ago. Now, right next to it, is Memorial that's growing for Savannah and her unborn son, Fabian. We didn't get to meet him, but I would have been very honored to have met my great-grandson. The Soto family says balloons and candles won't change what happened.
Starting point is 00:41:47 I know one day we'll be up there together seeing each other again. But for now we don't and we won't see here anymore. But for now it brings everyone closer. This is for both of them. And gives them a chance to say goodbye. And Matthew's friends and family experienced that same devastation. Not only did they lose Matthew, but they also lost Fabian before they even could meet him or hold him.
Starting point is 00:42:11 And that has to be one of the most painful things. Gabriel says that they're just left trying to pick up the pieces of their lives at this point and that the loss of a child is unlike anything else. I never knew a pain like this existed. You know, you hear about a parent losing a child and you're like, man, I can't imagine what they're going through. It's exactly how it is. You can't imagine it.
Starting point is 00:42:33 On January 1st, a vigil was held for Matthew, where loved ones mourn the loss of a friend, brother, son, and also soon to be grandson. Even Savannah's mother was there to help honor his life and his memory. And as I've shared in the aftermath of all this, a lot of information has come to light about Matthew's past. And I mean, I'll be honest, it's not pretty. But I said it before and I'll say it again. It does not justify what happened to him. Gabriel says that he knows his son did not make the best
Starting point is 00:43:01 decisions and that he does not condone his actions, but it does not justify his murder. And going back to what I said earlier again, the death penalty is on the table for Christopher and Gabriel says he hopes the state pursues it. Now, in order for that to happen, Bear County District Attorney Joe Gonzalez says that a capital crimes committee would have to meet to go over the details of the crime and from there,
Starting point is 00:43:24 they would decide on whether or not they want to pursue it. And I know many of you have very different opinions on the death penalty and you're totally entitled to those opinions. And at this point, it's just too early to say what will happen or if they will do it. That being said, San Antonio investigators are working extremely hard
Starting point is 00:43:42 and the DA's office has 90 days to indict the three people arrested in connection with the murders. And yes, you heard that right. Three people, let me explain. As if it couldn't get worse than a father and son being arrested in connection with a murder, turns out it can because Christopher's said to be stepmom has also now been arrested.
Starting point is 00:44:05 Anna Spen said so far that she has not been cooperative with authorities which isn't totally shocking. On January 10th, 47 year old Mirta Romanos was arrested and charged with three felonies, including altering, destroying, and concealing a human corpse, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. And remember earlier when we looked at that surveillance
Starting point is 00:44:27 video and it seemed that there was someone throwing a towel at the larger man from inside the truck? Well, turns out that was Mirtha. And let me tell you, no surprise here, but when that footage came out, the internet went crazy. People saw that towel being thrown and of course they were confused about why police were saying they were only looking into two people in connection with the murders if it was clearly three. Well, investigators were keeping some information close to the vest and
Starting point is 00:44:55 quite frankly needed just a bit more time and information before they could confirm that it was her. And boy did they get that information. Turns out that during the previous search of the Preciado home, the murder weapon was uncovered and who did it belong to? Mirta. Not only was it found in her locked bedroom, but she also confirmed that it did belong to her. And she said that she got it from a family member,
Starting point is 00:45:21 although it is unclear at this point who exactly that family member is. And investigators did confirm that it was the gun that was used by matching the shell casings to it later forensically. Now I want to be very clear here that I am not saying that Mirta gave Christopher the gun to do the killings. In fact, we just don't know at this point if either of them knew that Christopher was planning to do this. But what we do know, I mean, it's confirmed through their own security footage
Starting point is 00:45:50 that they were both involved in the aftermath and helping him conceal the bodies. In addition to the footage that I played earlier, investigators collected security camera footage from outside their own house that showed Mirtha leaving the house returning in a Chevy truck on the night of December 21st. So basically, she and Ramon are seen leaving their house in the truck that night. After the time, it's believed the victims were killed and then all three of them are seen coming back to the house together. Good afternoon. Thank you for being here. We're going to provide you with an update on the Savannah Soto and Matthew Geta case. First and foremost, once again, SAPD wants to extend our condolences to the family of Savannah Matthew. Today, as you saw, we just made another
Starting point is 00:46:33 arrest. This is the third arrest in this case. On January 3rd, we made two arrest 19 year old Christopher Fureciado and 53 year old Ramon Fureciado. There was a lot of information on social media that there was a third individual involved. Our homicide detectives were aware of that. However, we were looking for enough probable cause to make that arrest and to present the best case forward to the DA's office.
Starting point is 00:46:58 Today, that happened, they were able to develop enough evidence to charge 47 year old Merta Romanos. That's M-Y-R-T-A-R-A-M-A-N-O-S. She is believed to be, I'm not sure exactly what the relationship is, but maybe a stepmother to Christopher, 19 year old Christopher. She is being charged with three felonies. The first one being Alter Destroy Conceal a Human Corpse, which is a second degree felony. She's also being charged with Abusive Corpse, which is a state jail felony,
Starting point is 00:47:32 and a third charge, tampering with evidence. Through our forensic unit, we were able to develop information from surveillance video that shows Ms. Romanos involved the night that she was seen on video surveillance leaving in that black truck that we all saw on the surveillance video and then returning to her home with Christopher and Ramone in that truck.
Starting point is 00:47:53 Mirt is arrest came to the police station in the city of San Francisco. The police station was arrested and the police were arrested. The police station was arrested and the police
Starting point is 00:48:04 were arrested. The police station was arrested and the police were arrested. that we all saw on the surveillance video, and then returning to her home with Christopher and Ramon in that truck. Mirta's arrest came just one day after Matthew's body was laid to rest on January 9th, and his dad seemed hopeful that there is a path towards justice. And I hope that in these coming days, weeks, and months that we can all watch as that reality unfolds. As for Savannah's funeral, it was originally scheduled for early January, however it has been postponed. It's possible that after I record this that it does take place and I will update you guys in the comments or description box if it does before I go
Starting point is 00:48:41 live with this episode. I just really hope that this family can find some shred of peace in laying Savannah and Fabian to rest, knowing that justice is on the horizon. Now, before I wrap up today, there are just a few more things I want to touch on, and that being that when this case first started to get some traction in the media and on social media, people went actually crazy with it.
Starting point is 00:49:08 And there was a lot of misinformation spread and a lot of really salacious discussions happening. A lot of people were genuinely shocked by this and just trying to help. But there were a lot of people that were just spreading rumors and making things worse. One detail I wanted to point out that has been widely misreported even to this day. It's crazy. I'm surprised like a lot of them really well-known, normally factual media outlets have continued to
Starting point is 00:49:41 report this incorrectly. And it's still, you know, just being spread online that they were last seen on December 22nd. And that is not true. The arrest of David clearly confirms that the surveillance footage was captured on the 21st, meaning this was also the day that the murders were committed. And obviously both of those things cannot be true. I don't normally point this type of thing out.
Starting point is 00:50:04 And I don't think anyone's trying to be malicious. I mean this case is confusing and it is so recent, but I feel that that is a detail that really is important and needs to be cleared up. And something else I wanted to mention is if you are someone who has spent a lot of time looking into this case or is familiar with it, you're probably confused about why I chose to leave certain things out and I just didn't want to add any more pain to this family. There's a lot of things that are unconfirmed, especially about Matthew's past and about, I mean, there's talk of like
Starting point is 00:50:40 an online cult and some gnarly things about him and I'm in no way defending any of this. I just, I want to be helpful to the case and to this family and I just believe that discussing those things just isn't helpful. My hope today was to share information about this case and about the three people who are responsible for these three murders, and I hope you can respect the reason I chose to cover it in the way I did. It is truly heartbreaking to think that this child was one day possibly, I mean one day away from induction, but to be born in the next couple of days, so close to starting his life, and that was just taken away from him. That Savannah was close to being a mother. And again, I know people will have a lot to say about the fact that they put them in that situation.
Starting point is 00:51:33 And, you know, just again, that's something I'm not going to comment on. I just want to end it by saying that I hope that there's justice on the horizon. I feel strongly that there will be for these three. And God, I cannot imagine the pain that these families are experiencing in this time and I'm truly sending them my best. But that is all I have for you today on this case. Before I go, I wanna quickly mention
Starting point is 00:51:58 that we have just a few pieces left in stock of my latest Nekmek hoodie. It's possible that we will have some more in stock by the time that this is uploaded. I'm hoping that's the case and you can order it because I've been buying so many of these. I mean, I haven't been able to keep up and we've restocked twice.
Starting point is 00:52:15 So if you would like to get your hands on one of our Neck Meck hoodies, you can do so at kennelray.shop. And as always, 100% of the profit is donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And I also wanted to give you just one little bit of information about NECMEC because I like educating you guys about what they do.
Starting point is 00:52:34 A lot of people aren't aware of the wide scope of services that NECMEC offers families. And one of the services that they offer for victims and their families is mental health assistance and crisis support. And in 2022, they responded to 2042 requests for mental health assistance and crisis support. They have trained advocates that speak with thousands of individuals every year. So if you would like to support our campaign, I will have the campaign page linked. As I mentioned, we are trying to get to half a million dollars this year.
Starting point is 00:53:06 I think we will be able to do it. Help us reach our goal by making a donation directly there or buying one of those campaign items. Thank you for sticking with me today, guys. I know that was a really, really tough one, but still very important to talk about. That is gonna be it for me today, guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me
Starting point is 00:53:31 out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel which will be linked or you can just search Kendall Ray. I will be back with another episode soon but until then stay safe out there.

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