Two suspects were arrested in connection with the death of Esmeralda Gonzalez. Video / KLAS
A man has been arrested after a missing woman's body was found encased in concrete and dumped in the desert.
Police have arrested a man in connection with the death, days after they found the body sealed in a homemade concrete and wooden block outside Las Vegas in Nevada.
It's believed the victim, who is reportedly an adult model who had been missing for months, was given methamphetamines, tied to a bedpost, strangled and injected with chemical poisons before she died. Prosecution documents allege two people involved in the slaying went to extensive measures to hide the model's body.
Authorities believe the body to be missing woman and model Esmeralda Gonzalez, according to court documents obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It's alleged she was killed by Christopher Prestipino, 45, who lured her into his home before her disappearance.
Ms Gonzalez's body was found earlier this week. Photo / Supplied
After the death, Mr Prestipino allegedly rented a U-Haul truck, which police linked to the discovery of Ms Gonzalez's dumped body, news.com.au reports.
Also named in the court documents is Cassandra Bascones (who also goes by the names Cassandra Garrett, Cassandra Tran and Nikki Hart), who police allege may be involved in the killing. Ms Bascones has not yet been arrested.
"Prestipino rented a U-Haul and the victim's body was dumped in the desert," the Clark County prosecutor alleged in documents relating to the arrest.
"Prestipino and Garrett have been panicked because they left the rented U-Haul dolly at the body dump location."
Police earlier arrested Mr Prestipino's girlfriend, Lisa Mort, 31, who has been charged with aiding her boyfriend in concealing the alleged killing.
Ms Gonzalez was reported missing by her brother on May 31 after he'd not seen her for a week. He told police he'd found her southwest Las Vegas home with the lights left on and the front door unlocked. The Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly said the home had been "ransacked".
The victim had more than 300,000 followers on Instagram and worked in the adult entertainment industry. She didn't live far from Mr Prestipino and didn't have her keys or phone with her. She had previously been diagnosed with mental illness.
Esmeralda Gonzalez had reportedly been involved with her alleged killer. Photo / Supplied
The document alleges the day before her disappearance, Ms Gonzalez had been spotted walking around her neighbourhood wearing high heels and lingerie, prompting neighbours to call police. The previous day, CCTV showed her being driven to a luxury car dealership in the same outfit.
On May 31, the same day she was reported missing by her brother, Ms Gonzalez was seen on CCTV trying to open the door of a home on West Torino Ave, not far from Mr Prestipino's home.
The owners of the home sent Ms Gonzalez away, and she was seen walking towards her accused's home as she left.
TIPS LED TO ARREST
Two different tipsters reportedly contacted police, telling them the accused may have been involved in the young woman's murder.
The first tip came in July, and a second tipster told police that the accused had told his friend he'd "killed the missing girl".
Police were told to look for Ms Gonzalez's body in the desert off the Interstate 15 highway, near the Nevada-California border. Her body was discovered on October 8.
Police were told Ms Gonzalez was lured into Mr Prestipino's home where he gave her a dose of methamphetamine.
She began speaking and behaving strangely and threatened to call authorities.
Mr Prestipino then allegedly tied her up and strangled her until she lost consciousness, the accused believing her "dead". When she woke later, she punched at Mr Prestipino, who allegedly later injected her with pool cleaner.
When prosecutors interviewed Ms Bascones in September, she was reportedly "defensive, argumentative" and denied knowing the missing woman.
But days later police questioned a woman linked to her ex-husband, who said Ms Bascones had told her the alleged murder "may have been a sex fetish game that might have gone wrong". She has not been charged in connection with the alleged killing.
Mr Prestipino was arrested on Friday, October 11, after returning from a trip to Belize. He has been charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit murder. Bail was refused, and he is being held at Clark County Detention Centre.
Ms Mort has also been charged with harbouring, concealing or aiding a felon. She was arrested on August 27.
