PHOENIX — One of the men involved in the brutal murder of 30-year-old Bernardo Pantaleon has been sentenced.
On Friday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Manuel Carrasco Calderon was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assisting a gang by mutilating the victim’s body postmortem. He will also be on supervised probation for four years after he is released from prison.
In November, 2023, Pantaleon was found murdered at Mountain View Park in Phoenix.
Pantaleon's family was in court and questioned the sentencing saying justice was not served.
Calderon was not charged with the killing of Pantaleon.
"He was part of it," said Anai Pantaleon, "I think he should have got more than what they gave him, and it's not okay. It's not okay what they decided"
Phoenix Police Department officials previously stated Pantaleon was found with multiple gunshot wounds and suffered from "significant bodily trauma."
According to police documents, the victim’s body had been “mutilated" with significant injuries by a sharp object. The suspects admitted to killing the victim and returning to the scene an hour later to mutilate the body.
Police say one of the suspects “admitted he killed the victim” due to an interaction “that made him uncomfortable.”
Police say photos were shared from the suspect’s social media accounts showing the victim’s body. A message thread was also found showing intent to rob and kill the victim, along with gang references and comments about the victim’s sexuality.
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Several members of a Valley criminal street gang were arrested in connection with the murder. Calderon has denied being a member of the gang.
In December 2023, MCAO indicted Calderon on two felony counts: assisting a criminal street gang and dead-person improper practice. He pleaded guilty in January.
Two others, Leonardo Santiago and Jose David Rodriguez Soriano are still in custody and are facing murder and conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges.
Pantaleon was raised by his grandmother as both his parents died when he was young. His grandmother was inside the courtroom Friday and also questioned the sentencing.
She cried outside of court, "it’s not fair, it’s not fair, ma’am," she said, "I’m dying in life since they killed my son and I didn’t even see how he was."
ABC15 will continue to follow up on this case and report when Santiago and Soriano are in court.
