TAMPA, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has booked a third suspect tied to the August 15, 2025, murder of 42-year-old Hiojaira Velez-Bonilla. Investigators say 33-year-old Andre Lamont Gerhardt was the final piece of the puzzle in a case that has spanned over six months.
According to detectives, Gerhardt assisted two other co-defendants, 43-year-old Arnaldo Citron and 38-year-old Giselle Santiago-Bonilla, with the transportation and disposal of Velez-Bonilla’s body. The remains were ultimately left in Pinellas County.
While the two co-defendants were taken into custody shortly after the murder in August 2025, Gerhardt remained at large until this week.
The breakthrough came on February 23, 2026, when detectives met with the State Attorney’s Office to review a mounting pile of evidence. Prosecutors approved additional charges against Gerhardt, and a warrant was issued for his arrest…