Edgewater Man Extradited From Arkansas, Arrested & Charged In Connection with Recent Murder

An Edgewater man was extradited from Arkansas and formerly charged by Anne Arundel County authorities in connection with a recent murder out of Glen Burnie. 

On Sunday, October 4, 2020, at approximately 8:01 p.m., Anne Arundel County Police responded to a location in the 600 block of Crain Highway North for the report of a fight. When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male lying near the front door. Officers immediately began rendering first aid and conducting CPR on the victim. Upon arrival of fire department personnel, first responders continued CPR as they transported the victim to a local hospital. 

It was later that the victim, identified as Jose Salvador Mancia Aguilar a twenty-three year old male from the 400 block of Irene Drive, Glen Burnie, Maryland, succumbed to his injuries. Evidence initially indicated his death as being a homicide.  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently performed an autopsy on Mr. Aguilar in orderto determine the exact cause and manner of death, which was later determind as sharp force trauma with the manner being homicide.

Over the next several weeks homicide detectives scoured through multiple days of digital evidence and interviewed multiple witnesses. Detectives executed multiple search warrants and retrieved multiple items of evidentiary value. During the collection of all the evidence and facts surrounding the investigation a person of interest was developed. The suspect was identified as Cristian Enrique Pleitez-Tejada, a twenty-one year old male from the 1700 block of Millstone Court, Edgewater, Maryland.

Through investigation detectives learned Cristian Pleitez-Tejada had fled the state after committing the murder of Mr. Aguilar. Homicide detectives were aware that the suspect had an active arrest warrant for Second Degree Assault at this time. Working with the Fugitive Apprehension Team, Cristian Tejada was tracked to the state of Arkansas. Anne Arundel County Homicide detectives flew to Arkansas and worked with local law enforcement authorities in trying to locate the suspect. On Thursday, October 22, 2020 Cristian Tejada was located and arrested in Rogers, Arkansas without incident in regards to the Second Degree Assault warrant and awaited extradition back to Maryland. 

Through all the evidence, coupled with witness and suspect interviews, Cristian Pleitez-Tejada was identified as the suspect who killed Mr. Aguilar. Investigation revealed this was a targeted attack and not a random act of violence. 

On November 1, 2020, homicide detectives secured an arrest warrant charging him with Second Degree Murder, First and Second Degree Assault, Reckless Endangerment and Dangerous Weapon Conceal in regards to the murder of Mr. Aguilar. On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the suspect was extradited back to Maryland where he was booked and processed on the outstanding murder and assault warrants. 

The suspect is currently incarcerated at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on a no bond status.