Columbus Junction man charged with murder in death of man who was shot, dragged behind van

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — A Columbus Junction man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man who was shot before his body was dragged down a gravel road behind a van.

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Ilario Castaneda, 54, — also known as Salvador Castaneda Bartolo — is accused of shooting Noe Ibarra Tijerina, 58, also of Columbus Junction, in the head following a disagreement “over a sum of money” on June 25, according to a criminal complaint.

Castaneda was charged June 26 with abuse of a corpse. The charge of first-degree murder was added Aug. 15, after an autopsy ruled Tijernia’s death a homicide.

According to criminal complaints, at 4:28 p.m. on June 25, a resident of a house on R Avenue called police to report she saw a white van drive quickly past her residence before crashing.

An officer from the Columbus Junction Police Department found the van stuck in the ditch on the east side of the road. No one was in the van, but the officer found a cellphone and a .25 auto handgun. There also was a black cord hanging from the bottom of the van. In the ditch on the opposite side of the road, the officer found a deceased Ibarra Tijerina, with a cord tied around his torso that matched the cord on the van. Extensive injuries on his head, arms, legs and torso indicated he had been dragged down the gravel road, the complaint states.

Another resident on the street told police she had seen the van drive past her house dragging what appeared to be a body behind it. Another witness said she had given a man a ride from the scene up the road to 314 Collins Rd. Officers found Castaneda and another man standing outside at that address, and the witness who had given Castaneda a ride was able to identify him.

Police also discovered a puddle of blood outside a nearby building, at 316 Collins Rd., .25 auto shell casing, and a trail of blood and drag marks that continued from Collins Road to the place where the van had crashed on R Avenue, the complaint states.

“During an interview with Castaneda, he would admit to being with Tijerina during the day, possessing a small firearm, keeping it in the van, and was in possession of the solo van key in his pocket,” a press release from the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office stated. “During the execution of a search warrant a gray T-shirt, matching Castaneda’s clothing description from the witnesses, was found inside [a mechanic's shop near his home] with blood stains as well as on his shoes. A router tool located at the scene had a severed power cord and was consistent with the cord on Tijernia’s torso and hanging from the van bumper.”

The news release states Castaneda is in custody, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer order for him, directing the county to keep him in custody up to 48 hours after it would otherwise release him. He is being held without bail.

The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said it had assistance on the case from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Columbus Junction Police Department, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Louisa County Attorney’s Office, Columbus Junction Fire Department and the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office.

Emily Andersen of The Gazette contributed to this report.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com