Man arrested in 2012 discovery of body parts near Hollywood sign

USPA News - A Los Angeles man was arrested in Texas on Sunday in the murder of his roommate whose body parts were found below the iconic Hollywood sign more than two years ago, police and prosecutors announced on Monday. Gabriel Campos-Martinez, 38, of Los Angeles, was arrested in San Antonio, Texas, at approximately 7:50 p.m. local time on Sunday by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Robbery Homicide Detectives and local police officers.

He is being held in San Antonio on $1 million bail pending extradition proceedings. Investigators believe Campos-Martinez was responsible for the murder of 66-year-old Hervey Medellin in late 2011. His severed head was discovered in Bronson Canyon Park near the famous Hollywood sign on January 17, 2012, by two women walking their dogs in the area. Police and investigators, with the help of a cadaver dog, later discovered other body parts scattered around the area where the head had been found. Within days, the body parts were determined to belong to former Mexicana Airlines employee Hervey Medellin, a resident of the Los Angeles area. A felony complaint charging Campos-Martinez with one count of murder alleges Medellin was killed on December 27, 2011. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace gave no indication of a possible motive but said Campos-Martinez and Medellin had been roommates for about six months prior to the murder. A coroner`s report said Medellin died as a result of asphyxiation and ruled the death a homicide, Grace said, adding that Campos-Martinez faces 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Nine months after Medellin`s body was found in Bronson Canyon Park, another head was found 14 miles (22 kilometers) away at Los Liones Canyon Trail. The discovery was made by two hikers who were hiking near the trail when they observed what appeared to be a human skull. "Upon arrival, officers were directed to an area near a hiking trail not far from the entrance to the Los Liones Canyon Trail where they observed the remains of what appeared to be a human skull," an LAPD spokesperson said at the time. "Officers checked the area and observed the skeletal remains of a human torso approximately 20 feet (6 meters) from the skull." The discoveries of the two bodies briefly led to media speculation that they may have been the victims of a sadistic serial killer, but it was soon determined that the second victim had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He was identified as 22-year-old UCLA honors student David Goeser.