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Man accused of four murders allegedly admitted to killings, claims he was threatened with sexual assault

EL PASO CO., Colo. (KRDO) -- In a newly released arrest affidavit obtained by 13 Investigates, Carlos Diaz, the man accused of murdering four men in El Paso and Pueblo Counties, allegedly admitted to the crimes when questioned by detectives.

According to court documents, Diaz identified an "unidentified male" who was found dead at a car wash in El Paso County on April 21. That "unidentified male" was later identified as Anthony Moore. Diaz claimed he had to kill Moore because, "the male wanted to sexually assault him."

Arrest documents say Diaz admitted to killing Manuel Zeggarelli and Vetho Finnell-Vigil, the two victims found in Pueblo on April 25, at the direction of Moore. Diaz told detectives both men had stolen from him. When detectives canvassed multiple Pueblo hotels along Interstate 25 and Highway 50, witnesses connected to Diaz said the stolen money was from drug dealing in the area.

Wednesday, 13 Investigates spoke with Claudia Zeggarelli, Manuel's mother, regarding hearing about her son's death.

"Drugs are replaceable. A car is replaceable. Our children's lives are not replaceable. Our children are not coming home anymore," Zeggarelli said.

Claudia Zeggarelli said her son has battled drug addiction for the past six years. However, she says he was trying to get clean for months before he was killed.

"He tried his best to get clean. Unfortunately we didn't make it there," Zeggarelli said. "Unfortunately Carlos Diaz took that hope from my family that Manuel would ever get clean and change his life."

Court documents say Diaz admitted to killing who he called Juice, Joker, and Ziggy. These were later identified as other names for Moore, Finnell-Vigil, and Zeggarelli. When detectives interviewed a woman at a Motel 6 in Pueblo, the woman said Diaz, "expressed a desire to kill people."

"He has to have been a heartless person to take four lives over some drugs," Zeggarelli told 13 Investigates.

The entire Zeggarelli family calls Manuel, "confident, optimistic and curious." His mother says drugs were always the root of the issue, not gangs or gun violence.

"I don't believe this has anything to do with gun violence. Yes, Manuel was shot. These kids were all shot, but this is a drug addiction problem," Zeggarelli said. "It's not a gang problem. It's not a gun problem. This all stems from drugs." 

Diaz was arrested May 19 in Pueblo on a first-degree murder warrant out of Colorado Springs. He is being held without bond at the El Paso County Jail.

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Sean Rice

Sean is reporter with the 13 Investigates team. Learn more about him here.

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