Manuel Tellez, a 48-year-old Mexican citizen who owns a popular bakery in the Dallas, Texas, suburb of Oak Cliff, was arrested for removal from the U.S. by ICE on March 4 after being allowed to remain free by the Biden administration even though he had pled guilty in 2023 for the 2022 stabbing death of a Dallas man and burning his body.
President Trump campaigned on removing violent criminal aliens from the U.S.
Tellez was originally charged with murder and was held on $1.5 million bond in the death of 52-year-old artist Anthony Moreno over a suspected lovers’ triangle, but eventually pled guilty to manslaughter. Tellez served no prison time; instead, he was sentenced to eight years of deferred adjudication probation and went back to running Maroches Bakery in Oak Cliff.
Apparently, the Biden administration made no effort to deport Tellez.
The Dallas Observer reported background on the case (excerpt):
Moreno’s body was found three blocks from Maroches Bakery, which Tellez owns, suffering from multiple stab wounds and having been set on fire. The evening before, Moreno had been seen visiting with Tellez at the bakery, where the store owner appeared on Instagram Live interviewing the artist about his sugar skull artwork. Investigators believe Tellez and Moreno were “romantically interested” in the same woman, spurring the crime.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, neighborhood security footage caught Tellez’s movements on the night of the murder, including the burning of Moreno’s body which was so severe his identity could not be immediately confirmed by investigators. Footage also showed Moreno wearing white gloves similar to those found at the scene.
In June 2023, Tellez opted out of a jury trial and pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years deferred adjudication probation.
WFAA-TV gave more details in a April 8, 2022 report in what appears to have been an open-and-shut case of murder (excerpt):
According to the affidavit, there is surveillance video from a neighbor’s backyard that shows Moreno’s body on fire at the exact time police said the incident happened.
Cellphone records and surveillance camera footage from a nearby gas station also caught some of Tellez’ movements from that night, according to a detective investigating Moreno’s death.
In that surveillance video, Tellez can be seen wearing a white glove and filling a gas can, police said. The affidavit also added that a similar glove was found at the crime scene. Additionally, police said footage allegedly shows Tellez walking back toward the bakery right after the incident was said to have occurred.
Tellez was also wearing a surgical mask and baseball cap to keep his identity hidden, according to the affidavit. And Tellez’ SUV had large rust spots on the roof that could also be seen in the surveillance video, making it easy to identify him.
ICE press release from Tuesday:
ICE Dallas arrests Mexican national convicted of killing man and setting body on fire without prison time
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Manuel Tellez, a 48-year-old citizen of Mexico, March 4, in Dallas. ICE prioritized Tellez for arrest after identifying him as removable following his April 3, 2022, arrest for murder.
Court records from the 265th District Court in Dallas County, Texas, revealed police arrested Tellez after he stabbed a man seven times, resulting in his death. Tellez left the crime scene, returned with gasoline, then doused the dead man’s body with the gasoline and set it on fire.
Tellez was initially charged with homicide but pled guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter. He received no prison time for this conviction and was placed back into the community with community supervision for eight years.
“This is an egregious offender,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson, “We are grateful for our federal partners within the Justice Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for helping us remove this high priority target from our communities.”
ICE and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI and CBP assisted in the arrest of Tellez after locating him within the community. Tellez remains in ICE custody pending immigration removal proceedings.
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