Family of gay man murdered in Phoenix park want suspects charged with hate crime

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Gasdeli and Anai Pantaleon should be planning holiday festivities with their cousin Bernie. Instead, they’re planning his funeral.

“It’s just sad to lose somebody based on their sexuality, and because he was so proud of it because he wasn’t scared to be himself,” Gasdeli Pantaleon said. “That’s the part that breaks us.”

Bernardo Pantaleon, 30, was found dead along a hiking trail at Mountain View Park on Nov. 26. According to court records, he’d been shot multiple times and his body was badly mutilated.

“He probably tried to save himself, tried to run,” said Anai Pantaleon. “Just by thinking that he suffered, it just haunts us. We can’t even imagine went he went through.”

Phoenix police have since arrested three men in connection with the killing: Jose Rodriguez, 20, along with Leonardo Santiago and Manuel Carrasco-Calderon, who are both 21. While Santiago is the suspected killer, all three are facing first-degree murder charges.

Bernardo’s cousins were pleased to hear that arrests were made, but they can’t understand why the suspects haven’t been charged with a hate crime—especially after they reportedly bragged about the murder on social media and sent gruesome pictures to the victim’s family.

“It’s a little bit of a relief, but then when we look at the charges and don’t see any type of hate crime, it hurts us,” Gasfeli said. “It’s clear that he got attacked because of his sexuality.”

Phoenix attorney Aaron Reed said there is no hate crime statute in Arizona that individuals can be charged with. However, if the suspects are convicted, the circumstances surrounding the crime can be used to give them more prison time.

“We have part of the sentencing statute that allows you to use hate crime as an aggravating factor,” Reed explained. “It’s not like other states, or on the federal level. Here, they can use it as a number of factors to increase someone’s sentence.”

Bernardo’s cousins say that regardless of hate crime charges, they want the public to know that vicious attacks on the LGBTQ community are not acceptable. “We absolutely ask for justice and want them to pay for what they did to him,” Anai said.

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