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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WKMG) – A Florida man is behind bars, accused of killing and dismembering his older stepfather.
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Investigators said the suspect targeted the victim following family disputes.
Wearing an Orange County Corrections jumpsuit, Jose Proano stood in front of a judge Thursday. He showed no expression after being arrested and accused of killing his stepfather, Jorge Vazquez-Escutia, who was first reported missing on Tuesday.
Neighbors were left shocked by the allegations.
“Yeah, I’m still at a loss of words, really,” one neighbor reacted.
When deputies first went to the home, they found Vazquez-Escutia’s wallet and phone along with blood on the fence that was later confirmed to be his.
The arrest affidavit notes one of the suspect’s friends called the family to tell them Proano killed his stepfather.
Investigators said Proano claimed he couldn’t remember his whereabouts because of schizophrenia, but surveillance video contradicted that.
Proano later admitted to watching his parents’ home, investigators said, claiming his stepfather kept him away from his mother, who has dementia.
Investigators said in the arrest affidavit they saw on video a man hiding his identity, laying out traps, bringing out suitcases and appearing to place an arm in one of those suitcases.
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Proano denied that he was the man in the video, but detectives said his cellphone placed him in the area of the home at the same time the footage was recorded.
Detectives found pieces of luggage hidden behind a brick wall around the corner from the neighborhood. Inside one of the pieces of luggage was Vazquez-Escutia’s head. More body parts were found in the other pieces.
This was not Proano’s first run-in with the law.
Court records show he is on probation until 2027 for several felonies after taking a plea deal that cut a 20-year sentence down to a couple of years in jail and getting mental health treatment.
The state attorney’s office was contacted to determine whether Proano served the entirety of his jail sentence under the agreement and if he was in compliance with the terms of his probation before that.
As this family grieves the loss of their loved one, Proano will remain behind bars for now without bond.
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Proano is due back in court next week.