According to Yakima County Sheriff's officials and other news reports, bond has been set at $1 million dollars for a man who's connected to the disappearance of his wife. Her cut up body was found in a fire pit near Granger. He was arrested last Friday.

This sad and shocking story began last Thursday night, when Jaime Munguia Alejandre, 44, began arguing with his wife, 37-year-old Maria Gonzales-Castillo in their home. Their children heard them arguing, then heard a sound that resembled somebody being hit.

One of their seven kids knocked on their parents door, but Alejandre said he'd been showering, even though the home apparently doesn't have running water. The next morning, there was no sign of their mother, so two of the children began looking for her. They reportedly saw a mattress that looked like it had blood on it.Then they saw smoke rising from a fire pit about 300 feet behind the home, according to yaktrinews.com.

The two children called police when they saw an object in the small concrete-lined pit that was smoldering. Authorities determined it was the body of Castillo, which had been dismembered so it would fit inside the pit, then set on fire. After an examination, Castillo was said to have died from blunt force trauma to her head, according to the Yakima County Coroner.

Our sister station 1280 KIT in Yakima reports Alejandre was in court Monday.

ICE has filed a detainer against Alejandre following his arrest. Yaktrinews.com reports this is the 13th homicide this year in the county, but the first in Granger.

 

More From 97.1 KXRX