Cuevas sold vehicle for scrap after allegedly dumping mother’s body in suitcase

We’re learning new details about the homicide of Maria Cuevas-Garcia, the 58-year-old Pueblo woman stuffed in a suitcase and then placed in a dumpster near a south side car wash.

The suspect, 36-year-old Anthony Cuevas, sold the vehicle just a few hours after allegedly dumping his mother’s remains. Police recovered the vehicle a day later where it was sold to Dionision Metal and Scrap on Pueblo’s east side.

Per security camera footage at the car wash on Ivywood Lane, the body was disposed of around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17.

Cuevas, who faces a first degree murder charge, sold his mother’s 2018 Blue Nissan Versa for scrap around 10:30 a.m. that morning for about $70.

Dionisi Metal and Scrap does not make a practice of purchasing cars from suspected murderers. But at the time of the sale, Cuevas was not yet a suspect.

“We ran the vehicle that we purchased from Mr. Cuevas through the CBI portal that we use to check if a vehicle is stolen or not stolen,” said Jen Dionisio, the owner of Dionisio Metal and Scrap. “He provided the correct documentation and paperwork, and it checked out good with the CBI so we purchased it.”

Employees at Dionisio Recycling say Cuevas came in like any other customer, and didn’t act abnormally. Despite selling a brand new vehicle for scrap, Dionisio says he had all of his paper work in order. Employees realized where the vehicle came from when they saw this picture of the blue Versa on the news.

“It’s not something we want to do and purchase a vehicle involved in a homicide,” said Dionisio. “We called police right away. We immediately called the authorities to let them know it was here.”

Police recovered the key piece of evidence nearly 24 hours after it was sold as it sat in the junkyard.

Employees at Dionisio’s never conducted a thorough search inside the vehicle as they are legally required not to touch the vehicle for seven days.

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