AZ AZ - Jose Arceo-Zuniga, 24, Phoenix, 15 Aug 1999

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http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special14/articles/0716coldcase16.html

The headline in the Aug. 16, 1999, edition of The Arizona Republic read: "Man's body found buried in trash bin."

The story began: The body of a young Hispanic man was found Sunday morning buried in a trash bin behind an auto parts store in east Glendale.

Police are investigating the death as a homicide because there were signs of blunt trauma to the man's body. It also appeared he was intentionally buried in the bin in the 4300 block of West Olive Avenue.

Police are not sure how long the body had been there.

Police later identified the victim as Jose Luis Arceo-Zuniga, 24, a Phoenix construction worker. They said he was obviously shot at another location then placed in the dumpster in an attempt to hide the body.

Before he was killed, Arceo-Zuniga had worked at a job site, investigators said.

He called his wife to say he would be home after stopping at a bank to cash a check. He never was seen again.

Police have determined that he phoned a relative in California to say he was at a friend's house playing a game of pool.

The relative also had a phone chat with another person at the house, but an argument ensued, causing the relative to hang up, officers said.

Officers have been unable to determine who spoke with the relative, police said. In addition, friends of the victim have been reluctant to step forward with information, they said.

This leaves the widow and their young child with no explanation of why Arceo-Zuniga was killed, police said.

"The victim was thrown into a dumpster like a piece of trash," Bruce Lowe, a Glendale police senior investigator, said. "It says something about the type of people involved in this crime. These people have no respect for human life and as such can certainly do it again."

Police say cigarette butts and other items were left behind when the body was dumped. They hope DNA analysis of these specimens will lead them to a suspect.

How you can help: Contact Lowe at BLowe@glendaleaz.com or (623) 930-3318.
 

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