LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — It took authorities only five days to find the man responsible for the murder of 29-year-old Alicia Gallegos. Police and prosecutors believe 57-year-old Jacobo Montalvo killed Gallegos.
But the family said he wasn’t the smartest suspect; during his interview with police, he wore the same clothes that he wore during the alleged murder. “We’re overjoyed. I mean, who wouldn’t be overjoyed if we got a predator off the street that fast? The detectives have been amazing,” said Rachael Hidalgo, mother of Gallegos.
On Oct. 16, Gallegos’ body was found in a wooded area near White Oak Township. According to court records, she was most likely tied up and killed by strangulation.
When police arrested Jacobo Montalvo for the crimes, the family was shocked, as they had never seen him before. “We have a lot of people in Lansing that know a lot of people, and nobody recognized this person. It’s just really odd,” said Hidalgo.
Police connected Montalvo to the murder after video evidence showed Gallegos walking toward a bus stop on Oct. 15, at which point footage showed Montalvo pulling her into an alley.
The video did not capture what happened in the alley, but shortly after, Montalvo brought his car around and loaded something into his backseat. When police investigated the area of the alley, they found Gallegos’ shoes, zip ties and what appeared to be blood, according to court records.
A few days later, police found Montalvo and his car, which contained zip ties, duct tape and more. “It’s phenomenal how sloppy he was,” Hidalgo said. “I mean, with all the stuff left around. There was blood and everything still, days later. He hadn’t cleaned anything, you know; weapons that were in the back of his vehicle were still there.”
In addition to the things found in his car, police found video evidence of Montalvo leaving the area of the dump site–as well as phone records showing that he was in that area when the body was dumped.
To Gallegos’ family, this is just one step toward closure. “It almost feels like we can focus on her and her family and us. You know, and do her funeral the right way,” Hidalgo said.
The family needs your help with funeral costs, so if you would like to help, you can find more information on our website or click here for the family’s GoFundMe.
Jacobo Montalvo will be in front of a judge on Nov. 7, at which time the court will decide whether he stands trial for the charges.
