Man accused of murdering, dismembering stepfather who was reported missing
By Brandon Hogan, Hayley Crombleholme
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ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A man arrested Wednesday is accused of killing and dismembering his 71-year-old stepfather, who was reported missing a day earlier out of Orange County, according to the sheriff’s office.
Jose L. Proano will face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Jorge Vazquez-Escutia, whom the Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported was missing on Tuesday.
Vazquez-Escutia’S family reported last seeing him on Saturday. Deputies were investigating his disappearance from the Hal Court area. WESH 2 News went to the area, where a large deputy presence could be seen.
Proano, 44, is further accused of attempting to conceal the murder by disposing of Vazquez-Escutia’s body in suitcases, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday.
“There are no outstanding suspects, and there is no threat to the community,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Vazquez-Escutia’s loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
According to an arrest report, someone reported to law enforcement that Proano had been acting erratic — making threats toward the individual — and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The report adds Vazquez-Escutia’s wife had a voicemail from someone claiming to be a friend of Proano, stating Proano had killed his father.
Deputies canvassed the area near Vazquez-Escutia’s home on foot and found multiple suitcases containing human remains, according to the report. Surveillance video allegedly showed someone putting human remains into a suitcase, the report states.
WESH 2 spoke with people who live in the neighborhood who said Vazquez-Escutia was known as helpful and kind.
“To hear that he’s been found unalive that’s really close to home cause he was that neighborhood guy we’re talking about close to 20 years,” said his neighbor Patrick Washington.
He and other neighbors described the 71-year-old as active and always up to mow a lawn, cut trees or help with cars. His loss will hit some of them hard.
“Gonna be touched to hear that one. Gonna be hurt,” Washington said.
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