Christopher “Justin” Soto Arrested For Murder.
DELRAY BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2023) — PBSO detectives have arrested Christopher Soto, 22, of Coral Springs, for the murder of the unidentified woman found dead in Delray Beach last month.
According to detectives, the 51-year-old woman was found lifeless, wrapped in a black blanket in a canal near Sims Road, only half of a mile from Kings Point in Delray Beach. The medical examiner reports that the woman was murdered, stating she was stabbed at least 8 times.
Following extensive media reporting from Boca Post and other media outlets, the mother of the victim, a Kings Point resident reported to PBSO that she remembers seeing the victim in Kings Point. The mother said the victim was sharing a residence with some acquaintances of hers on Burgandy N. The mother identified Christopher Soto (aka Justin) and his girlfriend as acquaintances who also dropped off the victim’s purse only days earlier. Deputies say the couple couldn’t provide a great reason for having the purse or what happened to the victim.
Deputies spoke to another resident at the unit in Burgandy N who said she let the woman stay at her unit because she didn’t want her to sleep on the streets. Soto and his girlfriend were also staying at that woman’s apartment.
The girlfriend then spoke to detectives. The girlfriend told detectives that the victim only stayed with them for several days. The girlfriend said that on June 23rd, Soto dropped her off at her job at Starbucks in Delray Beach just after 6 AM. She said that he was supposed to pick her up at noon, but never showed up. She said he texted her at 12:30, apologizing for being late, and stated “THE LADY HAD LEFT THE HOUSE”, referring to the victim. The girlfriend used Ford’s app to track her vehicle, she recalled seeing it near the dead end of Sims Road, close to where the victim’s body was located days later. The girlfriend ended up taking a Lyft home because Soto never showed up.
When the girlfriend arrived home, she found a large garbage bag, with a foul odor, inside her vehicle. She immediately had Soto throw it out. She also discovered the apartment was thoroughly cleaned with bleach. She reported that being odd because Soto never cleans. She also added that her grandmother and her wouldn’t use bleach, instead, they would use Fabuloso or something else. She found bloodied shirt in the bathroom and confronted Soto about it who said it belonged to a motorist he helped earlier in the day.
The two then took care of some pets as part of a pet-sitting business the girlfriend runs. At some point, the girlfriend found a purse, belonging to the victim, in her vehicle. The girlfriend also found a bag, containing a knife, inside of her car. The girlfriend returned the purse to the victim’s mother after finding the address to her Kings Point unit on the victim’s identification card.
The girlfriend, becoming suspicious, confronted Soto the following day about the victim’s disappearance. Soto denied any involvement in the victim’s disappearance. Soto told his girlfriend he had sex with the victim on the morning of June 23rd, 2023, to explain why a bed sheet was missing. Soto told the girlfriend the bedsheet would be returned on the 27th; however, it never was. The girlfriend cried to detectives as she confirmed the bed sheet the victim was found wrapped up in was, in fact, her missing bed sheet.
When the girlfriend questioned Soto about the bed sheet, he continued to deny all involvement. When the girlfriend asked Soto if he killed the victim, he said, “I COULD BE GUILTY”. He added, “POLICE WILL FIND OUT THEY WILL DO THEIR JOB”. Detectives say Soto never had a plausible explanation for all the blood found inside the residence.
Investigators searched the Ford Escape and found blood throughout the cargo compartment and the backside of the rear passenger seats. Blood was found on the liftgate as well as various items in the cargo compartment. Forensics later confirmed the DNA of the blood found in the trunk to be that of the deceased victim.
Detectives interviewed Soto who continued to deny all allegations. Soto said he while his girlfriend and her grandmother were at work, he was alone with the victim at their Kings Point residence. Soto said he remained home until it was time to pick up his girlfriend but never made it because helped a stranded motorist. Soto denied cleaning the apartment with bleach or any other chemicals, contradicting what he told his girlfriend and her grandmother.
Detectives say that CCTV evidence from surveillance cameras in Kings Point confirmed that the vehicle exited and entered Kings Point several times during the times that he said he was napping.
Soto was arrested and charged with 1st-degree murder with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, and providing a false statement to law enforcement. Soto is currently being held in the PBSO jail without bond.
