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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Dover man made a public plea on News Channel 8 to find those responsible for the shooting death of his wife outside their home in July.
But in a major plot twist, Hillsborough County deputies said 28-year-old Cornelio Negrete wasn’t telling the truth and they’ve arrested him in connection to the murder.
Negrete attended prayer services in July following the death of his wife, 22-year-old Erica Negrete Aviles.
“I feel like that person don’t deserve to live. You took away a mom. You took away a wife,” Negrete told News Channel 8 on July 26.
In early August, deputies arrested Cornelio’s cousin, Daniel Negrete, and his girlfriend, Fatima Avila, in connection to the murder of the young mother of two.
“It’s crazy – your own family would do something like this,” Cornelio said on Aug. 4.
But now investigators have revealed that they believe Cornelio played a role in his wife’s death.
He’s facing charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, principle to first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and false Reports to law enforcement.
“Now the kids are going to be the ones who are parentless, missing both parents after all this,” Erica’s mother Sanovia Salmeron said with another daughter translating the interview.
Salmeron said she never thought her son-in-law would do something like this.
“When he came to our family, he didn’t really have much,” she said. “He didn’t have a vehicle. We helped him get a lot of stuff so for him to do this to us is heartbreaking and really caught us off guard.”
Court documents said Avila dropped her boyfriend off at his cousin’s Dover home on the night of July 18 knowing the plan to murder Erica because she was a “bad mother” for having an affair.
The couple faces additional charges for the July 26 murder of Avila’s ex-boyfriend Antonio Cuellar-Enriquez at a Thonotosassa boat ramp. Avila told investigators she tried framing him for Erica’s murder.
“He’s a victim as well who lost his life and didn’t deserve it,” Salmeron said.
In this story of betrayal, deceit and murder, Erica’s mother said all three suspects deserve the maximum sentences for taking her daughter’s life.
“I hope we get justice for this because they don’t deserve to be out there and free if they did this to her,” Salmeron said.
The focus for Erica’s family now is getting custody of her two young children.
Jail records show the three arrested suspects, including Erica’s husband, are being held with no bond.
