Photo: Pueblo Police Department
A couple is facing charges, including murder, after children's remains were discovered in a storage unit and a suitcase in Colorado, according to CBS News.
The Pueblo Police Department revealed arrest warrants for Corena Rose Minjarez and Jesus Dominguez Sr. on charges of first-degree and abuse of a corpse. Dominguez is facing an additional charge of theft of government benefits.
On January 20, police responded to the Kings Storage Center in the 600 block of West 6th Street after someone found a metal container with concrete inside. Two days later, investigators determined a child's remains were inside the concrete.
Authorities interviewed Minjarez and Dominguez as persons of interest in the 2018 disappearance of Jesus Dominguez Jr. and Yesenia Dominguez on January 31. The senior Dominguez, who's reportedly the father of the missing children, was arrested Saturday (February 17) on an outstanding warrant, police posted on X.
Investigators said they found a vehicle belonging to Minjarez at a scrapyard and executed a search warrant on February 6. Detectives discovered a suitcase containing the human remains of a male child inside the vehicle's trunk. Minjarez was arrested later arrested and booked into Pueblo County Detention Center on a $2 million bond.
On Thursday (February 15), police got DNA confirmation that the remains found inside the storage unit matched Yesenia, while the remains inside the suitcase belonged to Jesus Dominguez Jr.
Officers said Minjarez was in a relationship with the senior Dominguez and was living with him in the storage unit. After the couple was evicted from the storage unit, family members clearing out the space discovered the metal container, according to police.
Dominguez's charge of theft of government benefits stems from him allegedly getting assistance while the children were missing. Authorities claim the younger Jesus was five years old at the time of the disappearance, while Yesenia was three.
"He (Dominguez) was applying for benefits and no one could account for the kids. He was receiving assistance for the kids at the time they were missing," said Pueblo Police Sgt. Frank Ortega, per CBS News.
Both Dominguez and Minjarez remain in custody as of Tuesday morning (February 20).