Bail set at $2 million for man arrested in Ritzville death

RITZVILLE — A Chicago man's bail was set on Wednesday after he was arrested early Tuesday morning in connection with a murder near Ritzville.

Adams County prosecutors charged Manuel Argomaniz-Camargo, 33, of Chicago, Ill., with first-degree murder. Adams Court Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon set Argomaniz-Camargo’s bail at $2 million.

Early Tuesday morning authorities were told a man, Argomaniz-Camargo, was found walking east on the north shoulder of westbound Interstate 90 near Ritzville, holding his 3-year-old son, according to police records. Argomaniz-Camargo was ordered to raise his hands and when ordered to do so, his son reportedly ran to a trooper. Argomaniz-Camargo took off his jacket and police noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt, despite temperatures hovering in the mid 30s, and his hands were covered with blood. He was taken into custody and placed into the back of a patrol car.

Police scoured the scene and noticed blood along the north shoulder leading toward Argomaniz-Camargo’s vehicle. Next to the left rear tire police reportedly found the body of Ana Veronica Montelongo Garcia, 24, also of Chicago, covered by a blanket. She was reportedly not wearing a shirt and a screwdriver was sticking out from her right breast area. She had reportedly been stabbed several times under her left armpit, her right eye was completely swollen shut and there was an indentation near the bridge of her nose and to her left eye.

Next to Garcia’s head was the gas cap to Argomaniz-Camargo’s vehicle. The gas door to the vehicle was reportedly open and a rag had been inserted into the fill spout and was lit on fire. A "substantial" amount of crystal meth was allegedly found on some pavement near the vehicle and inside a container that was located inside a duffel bag on the shoulder of the highway.

Argomaniz-Camargo told police he, Garcia and their 3-year-old son left Chicago late Saturday night/early Sunday morning and arrived in Wisconsin early Sunday morning. He advised there was a pound of "crystal" in the vehicle, which he said he got from a friend and was going to sell in Washington for money to purchase a home. He admitted to snorting meth and cocaine to help stay awake and drive straight from Chicago to Washington without rest.

He allegedly said during the trip he told Garcia to sleep and she didn’t, which he said made him nervous.

"Argomaniz described different things happening with the vehicle and Garcia being a witch and controlling various mechanical functions on the vehicle with her hands, feet and a chip in her mouth," according to police records.

In reference to the alleged murder, Argomaniz-Camargo said he stopped the vehicle and opened the passenger side door and pushed Garcia out and told her to calm down and call her mom. He said she re-entered the vehicle and he grabbed her by the hair and yelled at her about wanting to kill them, "as she was doing witchcraft to the vehicle," according to police records.

He told authorities he hit Garcia in the cheek bone with the hammer as she was trying to get to their son. As Garcia was laying on the ground Argomaniz-Camargo admitted to placing his belt around her neck and dragging her out of their son’s point of view. Argomaniz-Camargo advised his son saw him hitting Garcia and told him "mommy, daddy's not good" and he then hit Garcia with the hammer several more times.

"Argomaniz advised he tried to tape Garcia to the wheel with black electrical tape and was going to place a rock on the gas pedal to have her drive off; however, she was too bloody for the tape to grip," wrote a deputy. "This was also when her clothing was removed as he was trying to handle her and she kept slipping and the clothing was coming off."

Argomaniz-Camargo described his plan to burn the vehicle, but he said the vehicle wouldn’t burn and he used a screwdriver to shove a shirt in the vehicle and then stabbed Garcia with the screwdriver a couple of times after she was already dead.

He told authorities Garcia told him "in the end" that she forgave him and to take care of his son and take advantage of having his son.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.