A 23-year-old man in Hawaii allegedly admitted to choking and stabbing his 73-year-old lover to death, attempting to stage the scene as a suicide, and then trying to bury the body in a cement-filled bathtub.
Juan Tejedor Baron was taken into custody by federal and state authorities in California and charged with one count each of second-degree murder, first-degree identity theft, and first-degree theft in the death of Gary Ruby.
Baron Says He was Angry After Learning About HIV Diagnosis
According to According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Honolulu's First Circuit District Court, Baron confessed to choking Ruby to death following a sexual encounter. He said he had used a belt to kill Ruby after the victim revealed his HIV positive diagnosis.
"Baron stated he had sex with Gary but became angry after Gary informed Baron that Gary was HIV positive," the affidavit states. Baron then allegedly choked Ruby with a belt till he lost consciousness before moving him to the bathtub and slicing his wrists in an attempt to make it look like a suicide.
Baron Lived in Ruby's Luxury House, Drove His Audi
In the weeks that following the killing, Baron Baron lived out of Ruby's $1.2 million home in the affluent gated community of Hawaii Loa Ridge, and drove around in the victim's gold 2020 Audi A6, claiming it was his, according to the warrant.
Officers were first dispatched to Ruby's home on March 7 after the victim's brother called police worried about Ruby after not hearing from him for three weeks. When officers arrived at the home, they saw no sign of Ruby. Instead, they spoke to Baron, who told them he had purchased the property from Ruby two years ago.
He also said he purchased the Audi himself in North Carolina, but records show it was Ruby's, and that ownership had been transferred to Baron on Feb. 7. The warrant alleges that Baron provided forged documents to the Department of Motor Vehicles to fraudulently obtain the car's title.
Baron Fled the State with Another Man After Police Visit
Baron and another man — Scott Hannon, 34 — fled the state after the police visit, and wound up in California. Baron was arrested March 9 in Anaheim, allegedly hiding in a crawl space under an enclosed bench on a Mexico-bound bus. Hannon was also detained, but later released, as police believe he had nothing to do with Ruby's homicide.
Baron Encased Ruby's Body in Cement, Covered it with Coffee Grounds to Conceal Foul Smell
According to the warrant, Baron allegedly confessed to detectives he had "planned on fraudulently acquiring" Ruby's home — again, through forging documentation.
He also confessed to concealing the body in the bathtub, after finding bags of concrete in Ruby's garage, according to the warrant. Baron — who remains in California awaiting extradition — also covered the cement with coffee grounds, reads the warrant, "in an effort to conceal the smell of decomposition."
Baron is currently being held at the LAPD Metro Detention Center without bond as he awaits extradition. He is scheduled to appear before a judge at the Los Angeles Municipal Court on Monday, jail records show.
