Man charged in Rolesville homicide
Armando Montes Gomez was charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the death of Ismael Merales-Castro, whose body was found April 7 near an undeveloped subdivision in Rolesville.
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Armando Montes Gomez, 27, of Sanford, was charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the death of Ismael Merales-Castro. Gomez was being held without bond Friday in the Wake County jail.
Merales-Castro, 30, of Smithfield, was found April 7 about a quarter-mile into the woods near the Drayton Reserve subdivision on Forestville Road. Investigators said they believe he had been shot and killed there.
Merales-Castro's family reported him missing a week earlier and told police his 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer was missing.
Five days after the body was found, police in St. Pauls were conducting a license checkpoint when they spotted the missing SUV. Two 19-year-olds from Red Springs were charged with possession of stolen property, and they told authorities that they bought the vehicle from Gomez.
Gomez was charged with possession of stolen property, and he was still in jail on that charge when Rolesville police charged him with Merales-Castro's death.
Police didn't release any information about a possible motive in the slaying.
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