Salem, Mass. — Prosecutors said reputed Latin Kings gang member Christian Almonte of North Andover had a secret sexual relationship with a Methuen man he is accused of stabbing 21 times.
The victim,Willie Escobar, had vowed to keep their sex life a "secret," according to court papers.
Three months after Almonte was released from prison, he threatened to "terminate Willie," then carried it out, police said.
During Almonte's arraignment on murder charges in Salem Superior Court yesterday, prosecutor A. J. Camelio said Almonte and the victim had been lovers.
Superior Court Judge Maureen Hogan ordered Almonte held without bail and ordered a Sept. 8 pretrial conference.
Escobar's roommate came home on Sunday, Feb. 24, and found Escobar, clad in only socks and a bloody T-shirt on the floor in his bedroom.
According to court papers filed in the case, Almonte, whose gang name was "King Joker," admitted to police he and Escobar, 41, of 175 Haverhill St., Methuen, were lovers before his four-year prison sentence for stabbing a Lawrence youth, but told investigators that relationship had not continued after his release.
Escobar's roommate told authorities he believed Escobar was seeing other men at the time of his death, court papers said.
According to the court papers, during a May 29 interview, Almonte told investigators that 'Willie' had always told him not to talk about their relationship.
"According to Almonte, Willie couldn't afford to have their relationship become public because of his family. Almonte told investigators that he, Almonte couldn't have their relationship be known because of his life on the streets," the papers stated.
"His (Escobar's) code of silence is most likely something that would have gotten him hurt. Someone could have violated it," Almonte told investigators.
DNA evidence linked Almonte to the crime, Camelio told the court.
After speaking with Methuen and state police on Feb. 27, Almonte was arrested by Lawrence police in connection with an unrelated carjacking that occurred less than 48 hours before Escobar's slaying.
Investigators seized the clothing he was wearing and went to his apartment where they served a search warrant and seized various items that were tested for DNA.
Escobar's blood was found on Almonte's jacket and on socks found on Almonte's bed. Human blood also was detected on Almonte's hands, but the sample was not of sufficient quantity or quality to determine whether the blood was Escobar's.
Semen belonging to a third party was found on Escobar's T-shirt, and his own semen was present on his body and clothes when his body was found.
Almonte also was charged with stealing Escobar's car and giving it to another man.
That man and two women were arrested in Haverhill the following night when police spotted the car.
One of the girls, who had formerly dated Almonte, told police Almonte had told her he was going to "terminate Willie." She told police she believed Almonte was going to beat Escobar up over issues related to the Latin Kings gang.
Just hours before the slaying, police said Almonte was involved in a carjacking that left a 41-year-old Lawrence man with a head injury that required surgery, and broken teeth.
Almonte and an accomplice were accused of pointing a gun at the victim's head, robbing and threatening to kill him as he walked out of Crown Chicken on Broadway in Lawrence.
The Rev. Jorge Reyes, pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, where Escobar was a parishioner and did chores, was taken by surprise at the news of the relationship between Escobar and Almonte.
"He never shared any of his sexual preference with us. I always thought he had a wife and children. I don't know if they were together. I only saw him alone," Reyes said yesterday.
Reyes said Escobar was a very gentle person, very serious and dedicated to the church.
"That is how we would like to remember him. That was his private life and he never shared that with us," Reyes said.
