Police: Man burned, buried body of man he killed

Police accused a man of killing another man after an argument in Las Vegas and driving to California to try to dispose of the body.

Gino Julian, 30, faces a charge of open murder. On Aug. 13, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office deputies and California Highway Patrol responded to a vehicle stuck in the desert area near Highway 127 in Baker. A burned and partially buried body was found near the vehicle, and Julian, the driver of the vehicle, was taken into custody, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest warrant.

Julian changed his story multiple times including telling police he found the dead body in his car in Las Vegas and was told by unknown people to dispose of the body, the warrant said. Police determined that Julian killed Aaron Chavez inside Chavez’s home near Russell Road and Decatur Boulevard.

In text messages between Julian and Chavez in the days before Chavez’s death, Julian texted “enjoy sunshine while you can,” according to the warrant.

Chavez, who was in his early 30s, died from blunt force trauma to the head. During a search of Chavez’s home, police found pillowcases that matched the sheets used to wrap Chavez’s body. A large pool of dried blood was found in the patio area, according to the warrant.

Las Vegas jail and court records show Julian has not been extradited back to Nevada. According to San Bernardino County Jail records, Julian remains in custody without bail.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on X.