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.
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Deputies caught up with him the following night. At approximately 9:05 p.m. on February 24, law enforcement spotted Gerhardt exiting his apartment on the 5000 block of Louis XIV Court in Tampa. He was seen getting into his vehicle, but deputies moved in and secured the arrest before he could drive away from the complex.
Gerhardt now faces a litany of charges, including accessory after the fact, burglary of an occupied conveyance, and being a felon in possession of a concealed weapon. He is also charged with the unlawful moving or holding of a dead human body in unapproved conditions.
Sheriff Chad Chronister released a statement following the arrest, emphasizing the agency’s persistence in the face of violent crime.
“From the very beginning of this investigation, our detectives made a commitment to pursue every lead and hold every individual accountable for their role in this horrific crime,” Chronister said. “The arrest of this third suspect sends a clear message: no matter how long it takes, we will not stop working until justice is served.”
Gerhardt remains in custody as the legal proceedings for all three defendants move forward in the court system.
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