Arizona man convicted of killing, dismembering 17-year-old cousin

Gerardo Barraza-Salinas was convicted of murdering and dismembering his cousin in 2020 in Tucson, the Pima County Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.

Salinas would face sentencing for first-degree murder, kidnapping and the abandoning or concealing his 17-year-old cousin's dead body.

"Justice has finally been achieved for Sofia Hurtado and her loved ones," a Pima County Attorney's Office spokesperson told The Arizona Republic on Wednesday.

The Attorney's Office said the jury decided Barraza-Salinas' fate based on the aggravating circumstances of the murder and his attempt to cause serious physical injury.

Furthermore, the jury described the "especially heinous, cruel or depraved act in which the offense was committed," said the County Attorney's Office.

Barraza-Salinas first reported Hurtado missing from a residence near Tanque Verde and Kolb roads. Hurtado was living with Salinas, his girlfriend and two young children at the time.

Police were eventually able to tie Salinas to several burial sites throughout Pima County where Hurtado's remains were found.

Salinas' sentencing was scheduled to begin June 24.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gerardo Barraza-Salinas convicted of killing Sofia Hurtado in Tucson