As Pedro Bravo remained in Alachua County Jail, accused of a murder in connection to Christian Aguilar’s disappearance, court documents released Saturday shed more light into what happened on Sept. 20.
Christian Aguilar, an 18-year-old biomedical engineering freshman from Miami, went missing nine days ago, and Pedro Bravo, the prime suspect, was charged with premeditated, first-degree murder and denied bond during his second court appearance Saturday morning.
Police said Aguilar’s body had not been recovered, but a GPD arrest report revealed what Bravo, an 18-year-old Santa Fe College student, told officers since the disappearance.
During the interview, Bravo said he and Aguilar met at the Hub on Stadium Road earlier that day and drove to Best Buy on Southwest Archer Road so Aguilar could buy Kanye West's new “Cruel Summer” album.
A store surveillance photo released Tuesday showed that Aguilar was last seen at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 20.
Bravo said he and Aguilar drove around the city until they got into an argument about Aguilar’s girlfriend, Erika Friman, who previously dated Bravo.
Bravo told officers he dropped Aguilar off on the side of the road in the 4900 block of Northwest 13th Street and denied fighting Aguilar.
Then Bravo’s story changed, saying that during the argument, he punched Aguilar in the face and forced him out of the car.
Police continued to question Bravo, who told officers that after Aguilar got out of the car, he beat Aguilar with his “hands, elbows and feet ” for “10 to 15 minutes.”
Bravo said he left Aguilar lying on the ground, who was “bloody, swollen, barely breathing and not moving.”
The last known activity for Aguilar’s phone was at 8:14 p.m. on Sept. 20, which Bravo said he turned off and threw into the woods before he returned home.
Following the interview, police drove Bravo to where he left Aguilar, but officers were not able to find Aguilar.
Officials then issued search warrants for Bravo’s 2004 Chevrolet Blazer and his Spyglass apartment.
In the apartment, officers found Aguilar’s backpack hidden inside a suitcase in Bravo’s closet.
They also found a receipt on his dresser, which showed that Bravo purchased a roll of duct tape and a shovel on Sept. 16, just days before Aguilar went missing. Police have not found the shovel or roll of duct tape.
Police also searched Bravo’s car and found blood inside. Blood samples were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for DNA testing.
Scientists from UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science confirmed that limerock residue was also found in Bravo’s car, according to a GPD news release.
GPD spokesman Ben Tobias on Friday asked city property owners with limerock roads to check for any disturbances on the ground that could be used to bury a body.
On Friday, police arrested Bravo and charged him with first-degree murder, which is a capital offense, according to Florida Statutes.
Bravo was initially charged with depriving a victim of medical care and held in jail with a $100,000 bond.
Bravo appeared in court Saturday through a live video feed for the second time in front of an Alachua County judge.
During the hearing, Bravo stood with a blank face as Judge David A. Glant denied him bond and officially charged him with murder.
Unlike other inmates, Bravo wore a one-piece garment, or a smock, which is usually worn by inmates who are at risk of hurting themselves.
Ron Kozlowski, one of the attorneys representing Bravo, did not comment if Bravo was on suicide watch.
A family friend of the Aguilars made a statement to the court, saying the family extended their condolences to the Bravo family.
“They understand that there are two families suffering today,” she said. “That being said, they do ask that justice please be served.”
Bravo’s family, however, was not at Saturday’s hearing.
“They were eager to support their son,” Kozlowski said. “However, we were able to persuade them not to come because of all the media attention.”
After the hearing, Kozlowski said Bravo’s parents are “extremely upset and worried” about their son.
“They feel horrible about this,” he said. “They are praying that Chris is found.”
Since Aguilar’s disappearance, more than 200 people have volunteered to help police and the Aguilar family find Christian Aguilar.
As of press time, students helped raise about $6,800 dollars on the fundraising website, Indiegogo.
Almost 10,000 people have shown support on the search’s Facebook group, which was used to coordinate search events and broadcast updates.
Contact Chris Alcantara at calcantara@alligator.org.
