Nearly four years after the body of 19-year-old Jesus Avila was found in a burned-out car in a field south of Emporia, a number of arrests have been made in connection to the case.
A news release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced that the KBI in cooperation with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Emporia Police Department and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office had arrested five individuals due to alleged involvement in the Sept. 2017 murder of Avila, whose body was found near Roads 160 and T. The arrests were made in the morning hours Wednesday at various locations in Emporia as well as in Tulsa, OK.
The arrested individuals include:
Andrew John “AJ” Granado, 21, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested at approximately 4 a.m. He was booked into the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.
Jordy Cornejo-Campoverde, 21, of Emporia, was arrested at approximately 5:45 a.m.
Armando Nunez, 20, of Emporia, was arrested at approximately 8:30 a.m.
Alan Alanis, 19, of Emporia, was arrested at approximately 9:30 a.m
Jovan Pecina, 20, of Emporia, was arrested at approximately 10:50 a.m.
Cornejo-Campoverde, Nunez, Alanis, and Pecina have all been booked into the Lyon County Jail. All five suspects were arrested on suspicion of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery, arson, and interference with a law enforcement officer.
Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope credited numerous partnerships at the local and state level.
Prior information also included Emporia State Police and Safety and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the investigation.
Cope says this was an extremely complicated investigation, given the combination of arson and murder. He tells KVOE News investigators wanted to find justice for Avila.
Formal charges are pending. The case will be prosecuted by the Lyon County Attorney’s Office.
Cope says the case remains under investigation and may well be investigated throughout the court process if formal charges are filed.
KVOE News Director Chuck Samples contributed to this report.
