Three arrested in murder for hire plot

Leobardo Rodriguez Flores 03042020cr obit mug RODRIGUEZ-FLORES, LEOBARDO

Staff Reports

Three people have been arrested in connection with the case involving the murder-for-hire shooting of a local man outside of Tool Dynamics last month, a killing apparently caused by jealousy over the victim’s relationship with his girlfriend.

Columbus police were sent to the company at 835 S. Marr Road the night of Feb. 26 where they found Leobardo Rodriguez Flores, 37, of Columbus, who was dead from a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

The Bartholomew County Death Investigation Team, which consists of representatives from the Columbus Police Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office was activated to investigate, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

After a lengthy investigation, officers arrested Abraham Jimenez Cesareo, 35, of 2207 Seventh St., and Eladia Jacobo-Ortiz, 34, of 895 S. National Road, Apartment 31, on preliminary charges of conspiracy to commit serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony.

Cesareo is being held in lieu of $507,500 bond in the Bartholomew County Jail. Ortiz is being held at the jail in lieu of $500,000 bond.

As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant for murder was obtained by detectives for Eliel Avelar, 31, of Midlothian, Illinois, Harris said. Avelar was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Office at a hotel in Chicago on Tuesday and is being detained in Cook County, Illinois.

Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting said Flores died Feb. 26 from a gunshot wound to the head. The Columbus Police Department later released information that Flores was shot in the face. Flores worked at Tool Dynamics and CE Systems and spent his summers working for Nading Farms, according to his obituary.

The night of the shooting, the victim’s car, which was running, was found with no one inside seven blocks away from where the body was discovered, according to the probable cause affidavit. Flores’ silver-colored 1998 Honda Civic was discovered in the parking lot of La Guanajuato Grocery and Restaurant at 2710 State St.

Detectives interviewed a witness who had been dating Flores, who told them she had been having problems with her ex-boyfriend, Cesareo, who she had formerly worked for at the J&C Taqueria on State Street, the affidavit states. She told detectives that on Dec. 2, she was battered, strangled, intimidated and confined by Cesareo at the State Street business, the affidavit states, and that Cesareo took her phone during the incident.

The witness told detectives that she had an app on her phone called “Find My Kids” which was installed by Flores on the phone, which gave Flores the ability to listen to what was going on near the phone, the affidavit stated.

After reporting the battery, Columbus police were able to get the woman’s phone back, the affidavit states. The witness told police Cesareo was jealous of Flores and there were previous incidents in which Cesareo battered Flores, the affidavit states.

The witness gave police multiple recordings from the app in which Cesareo can be heard offering money to another individual seeking to have that individual harm Flores, the affidavit states. During interviews, detectives learned one individual was offered $2,000 to break Flores’ bones, but the individual declined, saying he and Flores were friends. Another witness told police Cesareo offered to give him the Taqueria if he harmed Flores, which he declined, the affidavit states.

Detectives interviewed Ortiz, who told police she introduced Cesareo to Avelar, a Chicago resident, because Cesareo was looking for someone to hurt Flores, the affidavit states. Ortiz told police that Cesareo gave money on Feb. 10 to Avelar, who agreed to harm Flores, an exchange that took place at the BP gas station, 2601 State St., the affidavit states.

On Feb. 26, Ortiz and Cesareo met with Avelar at Casey’s at 415 S. Gladstone Ave., and she and Cesareo got into a vehicle containing Avelar and someone referred to as “The Arab,” who was driving, the affidavit states.

Avelar had a handgun and a knife and the individuals drove around Columbus looking for Flores, the affidavit states. At one point, Avelar got out of the vehicle and slashed tires on some vehicles, including a vehicle belonging to Avelar’s former girlfriend, the affidavit states.

Ortiz was dropped of at her workplace, Itsuwa USA at 8:43 p.m. the night of the shooting, which was confirmed by company records, the affidavit states.

Ortiz told detectives that she received a call from Cesareo between 11:40 p.m. and midnight with Cesareo saying he saw Avelar shoot and kill Flores, the affidavit states. During the conversation, Avelar demanded another $2,000 from her and $7,000 from Cesareo, the affidavit states. Avelar told the two he had driven Flores’ car from the scene.

A search warrant revealed Ortiz later received threatening phone and text messages from Avelar demanding more money, the affidavit states.

During her interview, Ortiz identified Avelar as the person who was hired to hurt Flores, and Cesareo also identified Avelar as the man from Chicago he met with three times, and gave $2,000 to in the gas station parking lot, the affidavit states.

Cesareo told police that after dropping off Ortiz, the men went to La Rancherita II at 2241 State St. and then to Tool Dynamics where they waited for Flores in the parking lot, the affidavit states. When the victim arrived, Avelar got out of the vehicle, said something to Flores and fired one shot in Flores’ direction, the affidavit states. Avelar then got into Flores’ car and drove it away to make it look like a robbery, the affidavit states.

The men met at the La Guanajuato facility where Avelar parked Flores’ car, the affidavit states. The men then went back to Cesareo’s residence where Cesareo gave Avelar another $1,200, and Avelar and “The Arab” left, escorted out of town by Cesareo and his brother, the affidavit states.